Processors, methods, systems, and instructions to store source elements to corresponding unmasked result elements with propagation to masked result elements

ABSTRACT

A processor of an aspect includes a decode unit to decode an instruction that indicates a first source packed data operand including a first plurality of data elements, a source mask including a plurality of mask elements, and a destination storage location. An execution unit, in response to the instruction, stores a result packed data operand. The result packed data operand has at least two unmasked result data elements corresponding to unmasked mask elements of the source mask. Each of the unmasked result data elements has a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative position. All masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair closest to a first end of the result packed data operand.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

Embodiments described herein generally relate to processors. In particular, embodiments described herein generally relate to processors to perform instructions to operate on packed data.

Background Information

Many processors have Single Instruction, Multiple Data (SIMD) architectures. In SIMD architectures, multiple data elements may be packed within one register or memory location as packed data or vector data. In packed data, the bits of the register or other storage location may be logically divided into a sequence of data elements. For example, a 128-bit wide packed data register may have two 64-bit wide data elements, four 32-bit data elements, eight 16-bit data elements, etc. Each of the data elements may represent a separate individual piece of data (e.g., a pixel color, etc.), which may be operated upon separately and/or independently of the others.

A SIMD or packed data instruction may be used to operate on multiple packed data elements concurrently and/or in parallel. One known type of SIMD instruction is a broadcast instruction. Some broadcast instructions may cause a processor to broadcast a single data element or value, for example in a source register or memory location, to all data element positions of a result packed data. Other broadcast instructions also specify and use writemasks. Such broadcast instructions may cause a processor to broadcast a single data element or value, for example in a source register or memory location, to all unmasked data element positions of a result packed data. The masked data elements positions of the result packed data may either be zeroed or left unchanged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by referring to the following description and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrate embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a processor that is operable to perform an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagation instruction.

FIG. 2 is a block flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of performing an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagation instruction.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagate, store lowest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, operation.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagate, store highest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, operation.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagate, leave lowest order masked result data elements unchanged, operation.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a reverse masked corresponding source element store with propagate, store lowest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, operation.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a suitable set of packed data registers.

FIG. 8 is a table illustrating that a number of mask bits may depend upon the packed data width and a data element width.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a set of packed data operation mask registers.

FIGS. 10A-10B are block diagrams illustrating a generic vector friendly instruction format and instruction templates thereof according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary specific vector friendly instruction format according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11B is a block diagram illustrating the fields of the specific vector friendly instruction format that make up the full opcode field according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11C is a block diagram illustrating the fields of the specific vector friendly instruction format that make up the register index field according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11D is a block diagram illustrating the fields of the specific vector friendly instruction format that make up the augmentation operation field according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a register architecture according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13A is a block diagram illustrating both an exemplary in-order pipeline and an exemplary register renaming, out-of-order issue/execution pipeline according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 13B shows processor core including a front end unit coupled to an execution engine unit, and both are coupled to a memory unit.

FIG. 14A is a block diagram of a single processor core, along with its connection to the on-die interconnect network and with its local subset of the Level 2 (L2) cache, according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 14B is an expanded view of part of the processor core in FIG. 14A according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a processor that may have more than one core, may have an integrated memory controller, and may have integrated graphics according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a first more specific exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a second more specific exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a SoC in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram contrasting the use of a software instruction converter to convert binary instructions in a source instruction set to binary instructions in a target instruction set according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed herein are masked source element store with propagation instructions to store source elements to corresponding unmasked result elements with propagation to masked result elements, processors to execute the instructions, methods performed by the processors when processing or executing the instructions, and systems incorporating one or more processors to process or execute the instructions. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth (e.g., specific instruction operations, data formats, processor configurations, microarchitectural details, sequences of operations, etc.). However, embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of the description.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a processor 100 that is operable to perform an embodiment of a masked source element store with propagation instruction 102. In some embodiments, the processor may be a general-purpose processor (e.g., a general-purpose microprocessor of the type often used in desktop, laptop, or other computers). Alternatively, the processor may be a special-purpose processor. Examples of suitable special-purpose processors include, but are not limited to, network processors, communications processors, cryptographic processors, graphics processors, co-processors, embedded processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and controllers (e.g., microcontrollers), to name just a few examples. The processor may be any of various complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors, various reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, various very long instruction word (VLIW) processors, various hybrids thereof, or other types of processors.

During operation, the processor 100 may receive the embodiment of the masked source element store with propagation instruction 102. For example, the instruction may be received from an instruction fetch unit, an instruction queue, or the like. The instruction may represent a macroinstruction, assembly language instruction, machine code instruction, or other instruction or control signal of an instruction set of the processor. In some embodiments, the instruction may explicitly specify (e.g., through one or more fields or a set of bits), or otherwise indicate (e.g., implicitly indicate, be mapped to that register through an emulation register mapping, etc.), a first source packed data operand 110 having a plurality of data elements, in some embodiments may specify or otherwise indicate an optional second source (e.g., packed data) operand 112 having at least one value, may specify or otherwise indicate a source mask 116 (e.g., in a packed data operation mask register 118), and may specify or otherwise indicate a destination storage location where a result packed data operand 114 is to be stored.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the processor includes a decode unit or decoder 104. The decode unit may receive and decode the masked source element store with propagation instruction 102. The decode unit may output one or more microinstructions, micro-operations, micro-code entry points, decoded instructions or control signals, or other relatively lower-level instructions or control signals that reflect, represent, and/or are derived from the instruction 102. The one or more lower-level instructions or control signals may implement the higher-level instruction 102 through one or more lower-level (e.g., circuit-level or hardware-level) operations. In some embodiments, the decode unit may include one or more input structures (e.g., port(s), interconnect(s), an interface, etc.) to receive the instruction, an instruction recognition and decode logic coupled with the input structures to receive, recognize, and decode the instruction into the one or more corresponding lower-level instructions or control signals, and one or more output structures (e.g., port(s), interconnect(s), an interface, etc.) coupled with the instruction recognition and decode logic to output the one or more corresponding lower level instructions or control signals. The decode unit may be implemented using various different mechanisms including, but not limited to, microcode read only memories (ROMs), look-up tables, hardware implementations, programmable logic arrays (PLAs), and other mechanisms known in the art.

In some embodiments, instead of the instruction 102 being provided directly to the decode unit, an instruction emulator, translator, morpher, interpreter, or other instruction conversion module may optionally be used. Various different types of instruction conversion modules are known in the arts and may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the instruction conversion module may be located outside the instruction processing processor, such as, for example, on a separate die and/or in a memory (e.g., as a static, dynamic, or runtime instruction emulation module). By way of example, the instruction conversion module may receive the instruction 102 which may be of a first instruction set and may emulate, translate, morph, interpret, or otherwise convert the instruction 102 into one or more corresponding or derived intermediate instructions or control signals which may be of a second different instruction set. The one or more intermediate instructions or control signals of the second instruction set may be provided to a decode unit (e.g., decode unit 104), which may decode the received one or more instructions or control signals of the second instruction set into one or more lower-level instructions or control signals executable by native hardware of the processor (e.g., one or more execution units).

The processor also includes a set of packed data registers 108. Each of the packed data registers may represent an on-die storage location that is operable to store packed data, vector data, or SIMD data. The packed data registers may represent architecturally-visible registers (e.g., an architectural register file). The architecturally-visible or architectural registers are visible to software and/or a programmer and/or are the registers indicated by instructions of an instruction set of the processor to identify operands. These architectural registers are contrasted to other non-architectural or non-architecturally visible registers in a given microarchitecture (e.g., temporary registers, reorder buffers, retirement registers, etc.). The packed data registers may be implemented in different ways in different microarchitectures using well-known techniques and are not limited to any particular type of circuit. Various different types of registers are suitable. Examples of suitable types of registers include, but are not limited to, dedicated physical registers, dynamically allocated physical registers using register renaming, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the first source packed data operand 110 may optionally be stored in a first packed data register, and the second source packed data operand 112 may be stored in a second packed data register. Alternatively, memory locations, or other storage locations, may be used for one or more of these operands. In some embodiments, the destination storage location may also be a packed data register. In some cases, the packed data register used as the destination storage location may be different than the packed data registers used for the first source packed data operand and the second source operand. In other cases, the packed data register used for one of the source packed data operands may be reused as the destination storage location (e.g., the result packed data operand may be written over one of the source packed data operand). For example, in some cases, the result packed data operand may be written over the second source packed data operand, which in some cases may be used to prepare the second source packed data operand for another instance of the same type of instruction. Alternatively, memory or other storage locations may optionally be used for the destination storage location.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the execution unit 106 is coupled with the decode unit 104, the first source packed data operand 110, optionally the second source operand 112, and the source mask 116 (e.g., may be coupled with the packed data registers 108 and the packed data operation mask registers 118). By way of example, the execution unit may include an arithmetic logic unit, a logic unit, a digital circuit to perform logical or data manipulation operations, or the like. The execution unit may receive the one or more decoded or otherwise converted instructions or control signals that represent and/or are derived from the masked source element store with propagation instruction 102. The execution unit may also receive the first source packed data operand 110, the source mask 116, and in some embodiments the optional second source (e.g., packed data) operand 112, which may all be specified or otherwise indicated by the instruction 102.

In some embodiments, the execution unit may use the source mask 116 as a mask or control operand to mask or control how data elements are to be stored from the first source packed data operand 110 to the result packed data operand 114. The source mask may include multiple mask elements or control elements. In some embodiments, the mask elements may be included in a one-to-one correspondence with corresponding result data elements of the result packed data operand so that masking or control may be provided for each result data element separately and/or independently of the others. In some embodiments, each mask element may be a single mask bit, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. In such cases, the source mask may have a mask bit for each result data element and/or each source data element. In some embodiments, a value of each mask bit or other mask element may mask or control whether or not a corresponding data element from the first source packed data operand 110 is to be stored to the corresponding result data element in the result packed data operand 114. For example, each mask bit or element may have an unmasked value (e.g., be set to binary one (i.e., 1)) to cause the corresponding source data element in the first source packed data operand 110 to be stored to the corresponding unmasked result data element, or each mask bit may have a masked value (e.g., be cleared to binary zero (i.e., 0)) to cause another value (e.g., of a closest unmasked result data element) to be propagated or otherwise stored to the corresponding masked result data element. In another embodiment, two or more bits may optionally be used for each mask element. For example, each mask element may have a same number of bits as each corresponding source data element, and a lowest order bit or a highest order bit may be used as a single mask bit.

The execution unit may be operable in response to and/or as a result of the instruction 102 (e.g., in response to one or more instructions or control signals decoded directly or indirectly (e.g., through emulation) from the instruction) to store the result packed data operand 114 in the destination storage location indicated by the instruction. In some embodiments, the result packed data operand may include at least two unmasked result data elements. The at least two unmasked result data elements may correspond to unmasked mask elements of the source mask 116. Each of the unmasked result data elements of the result packed data operand 114 may have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand 110 in a same relative bit position. The result packed data operand 114 may also have all masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, which are to have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair, which is closest to a first end (e.g., a least significant bit position or end, or a most significant bit position or end) of the result packed data operand 114. The masked result data elements are to correspond to masked mask elements of the source mask 116. In some embodiments, the aforementioned characteristics of the result packed data operand may be fixed or implicit to the instruction (e.g., fixed or implicit for an opcode or type of the instruction), rather than being explicitly specified in a flexible way (e.g., by an explicit control operand of a shuffle, permute, or other highly flexible instruction). In some embodiments, the result packed data operand may optionally be any of those shown and described for any of FIGS. 3-6, although the scope of the invention is not so limited.

The execution unit and/or the processor may include specific or particular logic (e.g., transistors, integrated circuitry, or other hardware potentially combined with firmware (e.g., instructions stored in non-volatile memory) and/or software) that is operable to perform the instruction 102 and/or store the result in response to and/or as a result of the instruction 102. In some embodiments, the execution unit may include one or more input structures (e.g., port(s), interconnect(s), an interface, etc.) to receive source operands, circuitry or logic coupled with the input structure(s) to process the source operands and generate the result operand, and one or more output structures (e.g., port(s), interconnect(s), an interface, etc.) coupled with the circuitry or logic to output the result operand.

To avoid obscuring the description, a relatively simple processor has been shown and described. In other embodiments, the processor may optionally include other well-known processor components. Embodiments may be included in processors have multiple cores, logical processors, or execution engines at least one of which has a decode unit and an execution unit to perform an embodiment of an instruction disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a block flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 220 of performing an embodiment of a masked source element store with propagation instruction. In various embodiments, the method may be performed by a processor, instruction processing apparatus, or other digital logic device. In some embodiments, the method of FIG. 2 may be performed by and/or within the processor of FIG. 1. The components, features, and specific optional details described herein for the processor of FIG. 1 also optionally apply to the method of FIG. 2. Alternatively, the method of FIG. 2 may be performed by and/or within a similar or different processor or apparatus. Moreover, the processor of FIG. 1 may perform methods the same as, similar to, or different than those of FIG. 2.

The method includes receiving the masked source element store with propagation instruction, at block 221. In various aspects, the instruction may be received at a processor or a portion thereof (e.g., an instruction fetch unit, a decode unit, a bus interface unit, etc.). In various aspects, the instruction may be received from an off-die source (e.g., from memory, interconnect, etc.), or from an on-die source (e.g., from an instruction cache, instruction queue, etc.). The instruction may specify or otherwise indicate a first source packed data operand including a first plurality of data elements, in some embodiments may optionally specify or otherwise indicate a second source operand having a value, may specify or otherwise indicate a source mask including a plurality of mask elements, and may specify or otherwise indicate a destination storage location.

The method includes storing a result packed data operand in the destination storage location in response to and/or as a result of the instruction, at block 222. Representatively, an execution unit may perform the instruction and store the result. In some embodiments, the result packed data operand may include at least two unmasked result data elements. The unmasked result data elements may correspond to unmasked mask elements of the source mask. Each of the unmasked result data elements of the result packed data operand may have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position. The result packed data operand may also have all masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, which have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand. The masked result data elements may correspond to masked mask elements of the source mask.

The illustrated method involves architectural operations (e.g., those visible from a software perspective). In other embodiments, the method may optionally include one or more microarchitectural operations. The instruction may be fetched, decoded, scheduled out-of-order, source operands may be accessed, an execution unit may perform microarchitectural operations to implement the instruction, etc. In some embodiments, the microarchitectural operations may optionally include storing a value from a source element to a result element, propagating or storing a value from a lower order unmasked result element to a higher order masked result element, etc.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagate, store lowest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, operation 330, which may be performed in response to an embodiment of an instruction. In this embodiment, a value of a lowest order data element (X0) of a second source packed data operand 312 may be used for values of a set of zero or more (e.g., in the illustrated example three) lowest order masked-out result data elements 332.

The instruction may also specify (e.g., explicitly specify) or otherwise indicate (e.g., implicitly indicate) a first source packed data operand 310 having a first plurality of packed data elements. In the illustrated embodiment, the first source packed operand data has eight data elements A0 through A7, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. In other embodiments, the first source packed data operand may have a different number of data elements, for example, a number equal to the size in bits of the first source packed data operand divided by the size in bits of each data element. In various embodiments, the width of the first source packed data operand may be 64-bits, 128-bits, 256-bits, 512-bits, or 1024-bits, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. In various embodiments, the width of each packed data element may be 8-bits, 16-bits, 32-bits, or 64-bits, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. In some embodiments, the first source packed data operand may be in a memory location, which may allow data elements to be stored in the result packed data directly from memory, without previously needing to be loaded into a source packed data register, although this is not required.

The instruction may also specify or otherwise indicate a second source packed data operand 312. In this embodiment, the second source packed data operand may provide a single lowest order or least significant data element (X0) whose value may be used for (e.g., stored into) zero or more (e.g., in the illustrated example three) lowest order or least significant masked-out result data elements in a result packed data operand 314. The masked-out result data elements may be those that correspond to masked-out mask elements in same relative positions within a source mask operand 316. In some embodiments, the second source packed data operand may be stored in a packed data register. In this embodiment, the single data element (X0) is stored in the lowest order or least significant data element position. Other data elements and/or data element positions in the second source packed data operand are designed with asterisks (*) to indicate that they may optionally be ignored and/or unused by the operation and/or instruction. As will be explained further below, providing the single data element (e.g., X0) in the lowest order position of the packed data operand may offer an advantage from an algorithmic perspective for certain implementations (e.g., when vectorizing a decrement loop). However, the scope of the invention is not limited to such implementations or to providing the single data element (X0) in this way.

The instruction may also specify or otherwise indicate a source mask 316. The source mask may include a plurality of mask elements. For example, the source mask may include a same number of mask elements as a number of result data elements in the result packed data operand. In the illustrated embodiment, the source mask has eight mask elements. Each mask element may correspond to one of the data elements of the first source packed data and/or one of the data elements of the result packed data in a same relative position within the operands. For example, the least significant mask element may correspond to the least significant result data element and/or A0, the most significant mask element may correspond to the most significant result data element and/or A7, and so on. As shown, in some embodiments, each mask element may be a single mask bit, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. According to the convention used in the illustrated embodiment, a mask element with a value of binary zero (i.e., 0) represents a masked-out or masked mask element, whereas a mask element with a value of binary one (i.e., 1) represents an unmasked mask element. The opposite convention is also possible. In the particular illustrated example, the eight mask bits have, from a most significant position on the left, to a least significant bit position on the right, the binary values 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, and 0. It is to be appreciated that these are only example values. In some embodiments, the instruction may be included in an instruction set with other instructions that are to indicate a mask register having the source mask as a predicate operand to predicate packed data operations.

The result packed data operand 314 may be generated and stored (e.g., by an execution unit 306) in a destination storage location in response to and/or as a result of the embodiment of the instruction. The destination storage location may be specified or otherwise indicated by the instruction. In various embodiments, the destination storage location may be a packed data register, a memory location, or other storage location. The result packed data operand may include a plurality of result data elements. For example, the result packed data may include a same number of result data elements as a number of data elements in the first source packed data operand and/or a same number of mask elements in the source mask. In the illustrated embodiment, the result packed data has eight result data elements, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. Each result data element may correspond to a different data element in the first source packed data and/or a different mask element in the source mask in a same relative position within the operands.

The eight result data elements occupy data element positions 0 through 7, when moving from a lowest order end or bit position 331 on the right, to a highest order end or bit position 333 on the left. Notice that in the illustrated example embodiment, the result data element (A3) in position 3 corresponds to an unmasked mask element (e.g., with a value of 1), and is the lowest order unmasked result data element and/or the closest unmasked result data element to the lowest order end or bit position. As shown at 332 in the illustrated example embodiment, the three lowest order or rightmost result data elements (i.e., in positions 0 through 2) represent a set of masked result data element between the lowest order end or bit position and the lowest order unmasked result data element (A3) in position 3. The three lowest order result data elements each correspond to a masked-out mask element (e.g. with a value of 0), whereas the next highest order result data element (A3) in position 3 corresponds to an unmasked mask element (e.g., with a value of 1). In this embodiment, the value of the single lowest order data element (X0) of the second source packed data operand 312 is used for the values of (e.g., stored in) all three of these lowest order masked-out result data elements that precede the first encountered or lowest order unmasked result data element (A3) in position 3 of the result packed data. In this embodiment, X0 is the predetermined value used for these lowest order masked-out result data elements. The next highest order result data element (A3) in position 3, which is an unmasked result data element, stores a value of a corresponding data element (A3) in position 3 of the first source packed data operand.

Continuing from right to left across the illustrated example result packed data operand, the two next highest order result data elements (i.e., in positions 4 and 5) are also masked-out result data elements, which each correspond to a masked-out mask element (e.g., with values of 0). In some embodiments, as shown at 334, the value of the nearest lower order unmasked result data element (in this case A3) may be propagated or otherwise stored in each of these two higher order masked-out result data elements in positions 4 and 5. For example, as shown each of the masked-out result data elements in positions 4 to 5 may store the value of the nearest lower order unmasked result data element (A3). That is, in some embodiments, the value of the nearest lower order unmasked result data element (A3) may be propagated into a set of zero or more (in this case two) higher order masked-out result data elements. Notice that, rather than a so-called “vertical” operation in which a value of a corresponding source data element from the first source packed data in a same corresponding or “vertical” position is stored into these masked-out result data elements, a so-called “horizontal” operation may be performed in which a value of a nearest preceding lower order unmasked result data element may be stored into each of these masked-out result data elements.

The next highest order result data element (A6) in position 6, which is an unmasked result data element, stores a value of a corresponding data element (A6) in position 6 of the first source packed data operand. The next highest order result data element (i.e., in position 7) is a masked-out result data element, which corresponds to a masked mask element (e.g., with a value of 0). The unmasked result data element (A6) in position 6 is a closest unmasked result data element to a highest order end or bit position of the result packed data operand. The result data element in position 7 represents a set of one or more masked result data elements (in this case a single masked result data element) between the most significant end or bit position of the result packed data operand and the closest unmasked result data element (e.g., A6 in position 6) to the most significant end or bit position. In some embodiments, the value of the nearest lower order unmasked result data element, which in this example is unmasked result data element A6 in position 6, may be stored into this higher order masked-out result data element in position 7. For example, as shown, the value of the nearest lower order unmasked result data element (A6) may be propagated into the highest order masked-out result data element in position 7.

Listed below is pseudocode for a particular example embodiment of a masked source element store with propagate, store lowest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, instruction named MULTISRCSTRPROPZERO. MASK is a source mask (e.g., source mask 316). SRC1 is a second source packed data operand (e.g., operand 312) having a single lowest order data element to be stored in a set of zero or more lowest order masked elements of the result packed data operand. SRC2 is a first source packed data operand (e.g., operand 310) having elements to be stored or propagated into the destination. DST is a destination that may store the result packed data operand (e.g., operand 314). In various embodiments, SRC1, SRC2, and DST may each be 128-bits (e.g., xmm registers), 256-bits (e.g., ymm registers), or 512-bits (e.g., zmm registers), although the scope of the invention is not so limited. In alternate embodiments, other sized registers may be used and/or one or more of the source operands may be taken from a memory location or other storage location instead of a packed data register. In addition, in other embodiments, one of the explicit source operands may implicitly be reused as a destination operand. In the code, “i” is a position counter within the operands, “i++” means increment, VL is the number of data elements within the first source packed data operand, and tmp_val is a temporary variable. The data may be byte, word, doubleword, quadword, single precision, or double precision, to name a few examples.

MULTISRCSTRPROPZERO MASK, SRC1, SRC2, DST tmp_val=SRC1[0]; for(i=0; i<VL; i++){  if(MASK[i]==1) tmp_val=SRC2[i];  DST[i]=tmp_val; }

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagate, store highest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, operation 436, which may be performed in response to an embodiment of an instruction. In this embodiment, a value of a single highest order data element (X7) of a second source packed data operand 412 is used for values of a set of zero or more (e.g., in the illustrated example three) lowest order masked-out result data elements 432.

The instruction may specify (e.g., explicitly specify) or otherwise indicate (e.g., implicitly indicate) a first source packed data operand 410, a second source packed data operand 412, and a source mask 416. The first source packed data operand, the second source packed data operand (aside from the differences mentioned below), and the source mask may optionally have any of the characteristics and variations previously described (e.g., for FIG. 3).

In this embodiment, the second source packed data operand 412 provides a single highest order or most significant data element (X7), whose value may be used for (e.g., stored into) zero or more (e.g., in the illustrated example three) lowest order or least significant masked-out result data elements 432 in a result packed data operand 414. As will be explained further below, providing the single data element (e.g., X7) in the highest order position of the packed data operand may offer an advantage from an algorithmic perspective for certain implementations (e.g., when vectorizing an incrementing loop). However, the scope of the invention is not limited to such implementations or to providing the single data element (X7) in this way.

The result packed data operand 414 may be generated and stored (e.g., by an execution unit 406) in a destination storage location in response to and/or as a result of the embodiment of the instruction. The eight result data elements occupy data element positions 0 through 7, when moving from a lowest order end or bit position 431 on the right, to a highest order end or bit position 433 on the left. In the illustrated example embodiment, the result data element (A3) in position 3 corresponds to an unmasked mask element (e.g., with a value of 1), and is the lowest order (e.g., rightmost) unmasked result data element and/or the closest unmasked result data element to the lowest order end or bit position. As shown at 432 in the illustrated example embodiment, the three lowest order or rightmost result data elements (i.e., in positions 0 through 2) represent a set of masked result data element between the lowest order end or bit position and the lowest order unmasked result data element (A3) in position 3. In this embodiment, the value of the single highest order or most significant data element (X7) of the second source packed data operand 412 is stored in all three lowest order masked-out result data elements that precede the first encountered or lowest order unmasked result data element (A3) in position 3 of the result packed data. In this embodiment, X7 is the predetermined value used for these lowest order masked-out result data elements. The next highest order result data element (A3) in position 3, which is an unmasked result data element, stores a value of a corresponding data element (A3) in position 3 of the first source packed data operand. Aside from these differences related to the use of the highest order data element (X7) instead of the lowest order data element (X0), the result packed data operand 414 may optionally have any of the characteristics and variations of the previously described result packed data operand 314 of FIG. 3.

Listed below is pseudocode for a particular example embodiment of a masked source element store with propagate, store highest order source element to lowest order masked result data elements, instruction named MULTISRCSTRPROPUPPER. SRC1 is a source packed data operand (e.g., operand 412) having a single highest order data element to be stored in a set of zero or more lowest order masked elements of the result packed data operand. Otherwise, MASK, SRC1, SRC2, DST, VL, and other parameters, may have the same characteristics and variations as in the aforementioned MULTISRCSTRPROPZERO instruction.

MULTISRCSTRPROPUPPER MASK, SRC1, SRC2, DST tmp_val=SRC1[VL−1]; for(i=0; i<VL; i++){  if(MASK[i]==1) tmp_val=SRC2[i];  DST[i]=tmp_val; }

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a masked corresponding source element store with propagate, leave lowest order masked result data elements unchanged, operation 538, which may be performed in response to an embodiment of an instruction. In this embodiment, a set of zero or more (e.g., in the illustrated example three) lowest order masked result data elements 532, which precede a least significant unmasked result data element (e.g., in the illustrated example A3 in position 3) may be left unchanged (e.g., initial values in the destination storage location may not be changed).

The instruction may specify (e.g., explicitly specify) or otherwise indicate (e.g., implicitly indicate) a first source packed data operand 510 and a source mask 516. The first source packed data operand 510 and the source mask 516 may optionally have any of the characteristics and variations previously described (e.g., for FIGS. 3-4). In this embodiment, there is no need for a second source operand (e.g., like second source operands 312 or 412) to provide a single value to be used for the set of lowest order masked result data elements 532.

The result packed data operand 514 may be generated and stored (e.g., by an execution unit 506) in a destination storage location in response to and/or as a result of the embodiment of the instruction or operation. A lowest order end or bit position 531 is shown on the right, and a highest order end or bit position 533 is shown on the left. As before, in the illustrated example embodiment, the result data element (A3) in position 3 corresponds to an unmasked mask element (e.g., with a value of 1), and is the lowest order (e.g., rightmost) unmasked result data element. As shown at 532, the three lowest order (rightmost) result data elements in positions 0 through 2 represent a set of masked result data elements, which are between the lowest order end or bit position and the lowest order unmasked result data element (A3) in position 3. In this embodiment, all three of these lowest order (e.g., rightmost) masked result data elements in positions 0 through 2 may be left unchanged. For example, the initial or starting data elements in the destination storage location (e.g., a register) may be left unchanged and/or not updated by the operation/instruction. By way of example, the destination storage location may initially store data elements R0 through R2 in the three lowest order data element positions. After the operation/instruction, data elements R0 through R2 may remain stored in the three lowest order data element positions. Except for the differences described above, the result packed data operand 514 may optionally have any of the characteristics and variations previously described (e.g., for FIGS. 3-4).

Listed below is pseudocode for a particular example embodiment of a masked source element store with propagate, leave unchanged, instruction named MULTISRCSTRPROPUN. In this embodiment, there is no need for a second source operand (e.g., operands 312, 412) to provide a single data element to be stored in a set of zero or more lowest order masked elements of the result packed data operand. In this embodiment, SRC1 is a first source packed data operand (e.g., operand 510) having elements to be stored or propagated into the destination. SRC1, MASK, DST, VL, may have the same characteristics and variations as in the aforementioned MULTISRCSTRPROPZERO and MULTISRCSTRPROPUPPER instructions. In this embodiment, lowest order masked result data elements of DST which precede the first lowest order unmasked result data element may stay unchanged.

MULTISRCSTRPROPUN MASK, SRC1, DST for(i=0; i<VL; i++){  if(MASK[i]==1) break; //find a lowest order unmasked position  else *DST[i] remains unchanged*} for(; i<VL; i++){ //i continues from the lowest order unmasked position  if(MASK[i]==1) tmp_val=SRC1[i];  DST[i]=tmp_val; }

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a reverse masked corresponding source element store with propagate, store lowest order source element to highest order masked result data elements, operation 640, which may be performed in response to an embodiment of an instruction. In this embodiment, a value of a lowest order data element (X0) of a second source packed data operand 612 may be used for values of a set of zero or more (e.g., in the illustrated example one) highest order masked-out result data elements 632 that precede a highest order unmasked result data element (e.g., in the illustrated example A6 in position 6).

The instruction may specify (e.g., explicitly specify) or otherwise indicate (e.g., implicitly indicate) a first source packed data operand 610, a second source packed data operand 612, and a source mask 616. The first source packed data operand, the second source packed data operand, and the source mask, may optionally have any of the characteristics and variations previously described (e.g., for FIGS. 3-4). In this example embodiment, the second source packed data operand 612 has a lowest order data element (X0) to be stored to the highest order masked-out result data elements 632.

The result packed data operand 614 may be generated and stored (e.g., by an execution unit 606) in a destination storage location in response to and/or as a result of the embodiment of the instruction or operation. A lowest order end or bit position 631 is shown on the right, and a highest order end or bit position 633 is shown on the left. In this embodiment, the operation is a reverse store with propagate operation, in which the set of result data elements 632 is a highest order set instead of a lowest order set, and in which propagation is from a higher order data element position to a lower order data element position. In the illustrated example embodiment, the result data element (A6) in position 6 corresponds to the highest order unmasked result data element and/or the closest unmasked result data element to the highest order end or bit position (e.g., on the left in the illustration). As shown at 632 in the illustrated example embodiment, the highest order result data element in position 7 represents a set of zero or more (e.g., in this case one) highest order masked result data elements between the highest order end or bit position and the highest order unmasked result data element (A6) in position 6. In this embodiment, the value of the single lowest order or least significant data element (X0) of the second source packed data operand 612 is stored in all of these highest order masked result data elements 632.

The highest order unmasked result data element (A6) in position 6 stores a value of a corresponding data element (A6) in position 6 of the first source packed data operand 610. In this embodiment, values of higher order unmasked result data elements are propagated or stored to adjoining lower order masked result data elements up to the next unmasked result data element. In the illustrated example, the next two lower order result data elements in positions 4 and 5 are also masked-out result data elements. As shown at 634, the value of the nearest higher order unmasked result data element (A6) in position 6 may be propagated or otherwise stored (in this embodiment in a direction of decreasing bit significance) in each of the masked result data elements in positions 4 and 5.

The next lower order data element in position 3 is an unmasked result data element and stores the value of the corresponding source data element (A3). The next three lowest order data elements in positions 0 through 2 are masked result data elements and store the value of the closest higher order unmasked result data element, which in this case is the result data element (A3) in position 3.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 illustrates a case of using the lowest order data element (X0) from the second source packed data operand 612. In another embodiment, the highest order data element (X7) may optionally be used. In yet another embodiment, the highest order masked result data elements may be left unchanged and the second source operand 612 may optionally be omitted.

Listed below is pseudocode for a particular example embodiment of a reverse masked source element store with propagate, store lowest order source element to highest order masked result data elements, instruction named REVMULTISRCSTRPROPZERO. This instruction uses reverse propagation or storage of values from higher order unmasked result data elements to lower order masked result data elements. In the code, “i--” means decrement and i>=0 conditions “i” being greater than or equal to zero. In this embodiment, MASK, SRC1, SRC2, DST, VL, may have the same characteristics and variations as in the aforementioned MULTISRCSTRPROPZERO and MULTISRCSTRPROPUPPER instructions. In other embodiments, instead of using a lowest order data element from SRC1, a highest order data element from SRC1 may optionally be used, or the initial highest order masked data elements in DST may be left unchanged.

REVMULTISRCSTRPROPZERO MASK, SRC1, SRC2, DST tmp_val=SRC1[0]; for(i=VL−1; i>0; i−−){  if(MASK[i]==1) tmp_val=SRC2[i];  DST[i]=tmp_val; }

FIGS. 3-6 show several illustrative example embodiments. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to just these embodiments. Other embodiments may include different numbers of data elements, multi-bit mask elements, etc. In addition, FIGS. 3-6 show three different example ways of providing the single data element or value (e.g., X0) that is to be used for the values of the lowest order or highest order masked result data elements. As described further below, these three different ways may offer certain advantages in during different implementations (e.g., during vectorization of loops). However, in various other embodiments, the single data element or value may be provided in an intermediate position in a packed data, in a general-purpose register, in a memory location, or in another storage location. If the single data element or value is sufficiently small (e.g., an 8-bit byte element or a 16-bit word element) to not unduly increase the instruction length for the particular implementation, then it may optionally be provided in an immediate of the instruction.

The instructions disclosed herein are general-purpose instructions. Those skilled in the art will find various different ways and purposes for using the instructions. In some embodiments, the instructions may be used to facilitate vectorization of loops, such as, for example, loops including computations over a scalar value that is modified under condition, although the scope of the invention is not so limited. One example of such a loop is shown in the following pseudocode:

x = x0; //set x to initial value for(i=0; i<N; i++){  if(condition[i]) x = A[i]; // change x only if condition is satisfied  result[i] = computation(x,i); }

In this pseudocode, x is a scalar value and “i” is the number of the iteration. In this example, the computation depends on the value of the scalar x, and may potentially/optionally depend on the number of the iteration “i,” depending upon the particular implementation.

One possible physical example is a dual-state trigger. For example, a trigger may switch to another state (e.g., 0->1 or 1->0) upon a particular event (e.g., a button being pushed), and the trigger may stay in that state until another particular event (e.g., the button is pushed again). In a mask if “1”s correspond to moments when a trigger is switched to another state (e.g., a button is pushed), “0”s may mean that trigger's state stays unchanged (e.g., button not yet pushed again). One possible graphic example, is lines drawn with different colors. The lines define borders. It may be desired to fill in the spaces between borders with the colors of borders.

An embodiment of an instruction disclosed herein may be used for this purpose. Each pixel may have its associated color. The “1”s in a mask may define border pixels which have its own already known colors. The “0”s may represent pixels between two borders that need to change its color. “0”s color may not be defined at all. In some embodiments, an embodiment of an instruction disclosed herein may do filling of “0”s with a color of right border (e.g., for forward form of instruction) or left border (e.g., for reverse form of instructions). Thus mask here may be used to define borders of propagation.

One challenge is that, currently, it generally tends to be very challenging to vectorize such loops, if vectorization is possible at all, due in large part to the data dependency between iterations in the x values. Generally, there is not a short enough instruction sequence that would be able to resolve the data dependencies, which could be used by a compiler to vectorize such a loop.

Advantageously, the instructions disclosed herein may be used to facilitate vectorization of loops, such as, for example, the loop shown in the pseudocode above. For example, these instructions may be used to generate a vector of x-values that could be used in subsequent vector computations. Notice in the above pseudocode that initially x is set to an initial value. Notice also that, during iterations of the loop, the value of x is only changed for those iterations where the condition for that iteration is satisfied. If the condition is not satisfied, the value of x does not change. This may be implemented by propagating a value of a data element from one position to another in a result packed data operand.

In some embodiments, the conditions of the iterations may be evaluated outside of the confines of the execution of the instructions disclosed herein. The evaluations of these conditions may be used to generate a source mask, which may be indicated by the embodiments of the instructions disclosed herein. The starting (e.g., lowest order) masked result data elements may be set to an initial value (e.g., x0 in the case of the pseudocode example above), and propagated to the first unmasked result data element. That first (e.g., lowest order) unmasked result data element may be given the value of the corresponding data element from another source operand, which may store a series of values A[i] (e.g., A0, A1, A2, etc.). In the result packed data between data element positions, which relate to two subsequent set bits in the control mask (say lower position is j), there may be stored values A[j], where j satisfy the condition (e.g., condition[j] is true). This may correspond to x-values on a set of iterations of the loop.

To further illustrate certain concepts, consider the following example pseudocode of how the example loop may be vectorized. This example uses a multisrcstrpropzero instruction.

broadcast x0,zmm1  //initialize zmm1 with x0 k2 = 100...0  // create mask with only upper mask bit set for use by vcompress for(i=0; i+=KL; i<N){  // where KL is a number of elements in a vector  zmm_iterations={i+KL−1:i+KL−2:...:i+1:i}//KL iteration numbers  k1[KL−1:0] = condition (i+KL−1:i) // generate source mask based  on conditions  vmovaps &A[i],zmm2    // prepare vector of x-values  multisrcstrpropzero k1, zmm1, zmm2, zmm3 // lowest element version  zmm4=computation(zmm3,zmm_iterations) // do computations over  x and i  result[i+KL−1:i]=zmm4  // store result  vcompress zmm3,zmm1{k2}  // use upper element of zmm3 for  next x  }

Notice in the above that the vcompress instruction is used, and the k2 mask with only the highest order bit set, in order to get the x-value for the next set of KL vector iterations of the loop from the upper value of the zmm3 register. In another embodiment, to help eliminate such additional overhead with preparation for the next iteration (e.g., eliminate the vcompress instruction and the k2 mask) the multisrcstrpropupper instruction may optionally be used instead of the multisrcstrpropzero instruction. Consider the following example pseudocode to implement the loop using the multisrcstrpropupper instruction.

broadcast x0,zmm3  //initialize zmm3 with x0 for(i=0; i+=KL; i<N){  // where KL is a number of elements in a vector  zmm_iterations={i+KL−1:i+KL−2:...:i+1:i}//KL iteration numbers  k1[KL−1:0]=condition(i+KL−1:i) // generate source mask based on  conditions  vmovaps &A[i],zmm2    //prepare vector of x-values  multisrcstrpropupper k1, zmm3, zmm2, zmm3 // highest element  version  zmm4=computation(zmm3,zmm_iterations) // do computations over  x and i result[i+KL−1:i]=zmm4 //store result}

Notice that in this embodiment, the vcompress instruction is eliminated and there is no need to generate or use the k2 mask with only the highest order bit set. Also, notice that zmm3 is used both as a source and as a destination by the multisrcstrpropupper instruction. In some embodiments, it maybe implicit to the instruction to use the source operand (e.g., a register) as a destination. In another embodiment of either the multisrcstrpropupper and/or multisrcstrpropzero instructions, a memory location may be used as a source operand to provide the values instead of zmm2.

To further illustrate, consider an example of an implementation of the above loop in which a vector is used for eight iterations of the loop. Initially, the conditions may be evaluated to generate a source mask, and starting data may be established in source operands that may be indicated by the multisrcstrpropupper instruction. Consider, for example, the following operands (with most significant on the left and least significant on the right):

k1=01001000 // example values of source mask for iterations 0-7

zmm2=A7:A6:A5:A4:A3:A2:A1:A0 // A-values for iterations 0-7

zmm3=x0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* //initialize highest order data element of zmm3 with x0.

-   -   // * indicates arbitrary or don't care value

The multisrcstrpropupper instruction may be performed as follows:

multisrcstrpropupper k1,zmm3,zmm2,zmm3

Execution of the multisrcstrpropupper instruction may cause the following result packed data operand to be stored:

zmm3=A6:A6:A3:A3:A3:x0:x0:x0

Next, another set of eight conditions may be evaluated to generate a new source mask. A new set of starting A-values for the next eight iterations may be stored in a new source operand. The result packed data operand of the prior multisrcstrpropupper instruction may be indicated as a source operand to provide the single highest order data element to be used for the lowest order masked data elements of a new result packed data. Consider, for example, the following operands (with most significant on the left and least significant on the right):

k1=10010100 // example source mask for iterations 8-15

zmm2=A15:A14:A13:A12:A11:A10:A9:A8 // A-values for iterations 8-15

zmm3=A6:A6:A3:A3:A3:x0:x0:x0 // prior result vector of x-values The multisrcstrpropupper instruction may be performed as follows:

multisrcstrpropupper k1,zmm3,zmm2,zmm3

Execution of the multisrcstrpropupper instruction may cause the following result packed data operand to be stored:

zmm3=A15:A12:A12:A12:A10:A10:A6:A6

This process may be generally repeated for subsequent iterations of the loop.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a suitable set of packed data registers 708. The packed data registers include thirty-two 512-bit packed data registers labeled ZMM0 through ZMM31. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower order 256-bits of the lower sixteen registers, namely ZMM0-ZMM15, are aliased or overlaid on respective 256-bit packed data registers labeled YMM0-YMM15, although this is not required. Likewise, in the illustrated embodiment, the lower order 128-bits of the registers YMM0-YMM15 are aliased or overlaid on respective 128-bit packed data registers labeled XMM0-XMM15, although this also is not required. The 512-bit registers ZMM0 through ZMM31 are operable to hold 512-bit packed data, 256-bit packed data, or 128-bit packed data. The 256-bit registers YMM0-YMM15 are operable to hold 256-bit packed data or 128-bit packed data. The 128-bit registers XMM0-XMM15 are operable to hold 128-bit packed data. In some embodiments, each of the registers may be used to store either packed floating-point data or packed integer data. Different data element sizes are supported including at least 8-bit byte data, 16-bit word data, 32-bit doubleword, 32-bit single-precision floating point data, 64-bit quadword, and 64-bit double-precision floating point data. In alternate embodiments, different numbers of registers and/or different sizes of registers may be used. In still other embodiments, registers may or may not use aliasing of larger registers on smaller registers and/or may or may not be used to store floating point data.

FIG. 8 is a table 890 illustrating that the number of mask bits depends upon the packed data width and the packed data element width. Packed data widths of 128-bits, 256-bits, and 512-bits are shown, although other widths are also possible. Packed data element widths of 8-bit bytes, 16-bit words, 32-bit doublewords (dwords) or single precision floating point, and 64-bit quadwords (Qwords) or double precision floating point are considered, although other widths are also possible.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a suitable set of packed data operation mask registers 918. Each of the packed data operation mask registers may be used to store a packed data operation mask. In the illustrated embodiment, the set includes eight registers labeled k0 through k7. Alternate embodiments may include either fewer than eight registers (e.g., two, four, six, etc.), or more than eight registers (e.g., sixteen, thirty-two, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, each of the registers is 64-bits. In alternate embodiments, the widths of the registers may be either wider than 64-bits (e.g., 80-bits, 128-bits, etc.), or narrower than 64-bits (e.g., 8-bits, 16-bits, 32-bits, etc). The registers may be implemented in different ways using well known techniques and are not limited to any known particular type of circuit. Examples of suitable registers include, but are not limited to, dedicated physical registers, dynamically allocated physical registers using register renaming, and combinations thereof. By way of example, an instruction may use three bits (e.g., a 3-bit field) to encode or specify any one of the eight packed data operation mask registers k0 through k7. In alternate embodiments, either fewer or more bits may be used, respectively, when there are fewer or more packed data operation mask registers. In some embodiments, a mask may be stored in the lowest order bits of these registers, although this is not required.

An instruction set includes one or more instruction formats. A given instruction format defines various fields (number of bits, location of bits) to specify, among other things, the operation to be performed (opcode) and the operand(s) on which that operation is to be performed. Some instruction formats are further broken down though the definition of instruction templates (or subformats). For example, the instruction templates of a given instruction format may be defined to have different subsets of the instruction format's fields (the included fields are typically in the same order, but at least some have different bit positions because there are less fields included) and/or defined to have a given field interpreted differently. Thus, each instruction of an ISA is expressed using a given instruction format (and, if defined, in a given one of the instruction templates of that instruction format) and includes fields for specifying the operation and the operands. For example, an exemplary ADD instruction has a specific opcode and an instruction format that includes an opcode field to specify that opcode and operand fields to select operands (source1/destination and source2); and an occurrence of this ADD instruction in an instruction stream will have specific contents in the operand fields that select specific operands. A set of SIMD extensions referred to the Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) (AVX1 and AVX2) and using the Vector Extensions (VEX) coding scheme, has been, has been released and/or published (e.g., see Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developers Manual, October 2011; and see Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions Programming Reference, June 2011).

Exemplary Instruction Formats

Embodiments of the instruction(s) described herein may be embodied in different formats. Additionally, exemplary systems, architectures, and pipelines are detailed below. Embodiments of the instruction(s) may be executed on such systems, architectures, and pipelines, but are not limited to those detailed.

Generic Vector Friendly Instruction Format

A vector friendly instruction format is an instruction format that is suited for vector instructions (e.g., there are certain fields specific to vector operations). While embodiments are described in which both vector and scalar operations are supported through the vector friendly instruction format, alternative embodiments use only vector operations the vector friendly instruction format.

FIGS. 10A-10B are block diagrams illustrating a generic vector friendly instruction format and instruction templates thereof according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 10A is a block diagram illustrating a generic vector friendly instruction format and class A instruction templates thereof according to embodiments of the invention; while FIG. 10B is a block diagram illustrating the generic vector friendly instruction format and class B instruction templates thereof according to embodiments of the invention. Specifically, a generic vector friendly instruction format 1000 for which are defined class A and class B instruction templates, both of which include no memory access 1005 instruction templates and memory access 1020 instruction templates. The term generic in the context of the vector friendly instruction format refers to the instruction format not being tied to any specific instruction set.

While embodiments of the invention will be described in which the vector friendly instruction format supports the following: a 64 byte vector operand length (or size) with 32 bit (4 byte) or 64 bit (8 byte) data element widths (or sizes) (and thus, a 64 byte vector consists of either 16 doubleword-size elements or alternatively, 8 quadword-size elements); a 64 byte vector operand length (or size) with 16 bit (2 byte) or 8 bit (1 byte) data element widths (or sizes); a 32 byte vector operand length (or size) with 32 bit (4 byte), 64 bit (8 byte), 16 bit (2 byte), or 8 bit (1 byte) data element widths (or sizes); and a 16 byte vector operand length (or size) with 32 bit (4 byte), 64 bit (8 byte), 16 bit (2 byte), or 8 bit (1 byte) data element widths (or sizes); alternative embodiments may support more, less and/or different vector operand sizes (e.g., 256 byte vector operands) with more, less, or different data element widths (e.g., 128 bit (16 byte) data element widths).

The class A instruction templates in FIG. 10A include: 1) within the no memory access 1005 instruction templates there is shown a no memory access, full round control type operation 1010 instruction template and a no memory access, data transform type operation 1015 instruction template; and 2) within the memory access 1020 instruction templates there is shown a memory access, temporal 1025 instruction template and a memory access, non-temporal 1030 instruction template. The class B instruction templates in FIG. 10B include: 1) within the no memory access 1005 instruction templates there is shown a no memory access, write mask control, partial round control type operation 1012 instruction template and a no memory access, write mask control, vsize type operation 1017 instruction template; and 2) within the memory access 1020 instruction templates there is shown a memory access, write mask control 1027 instruction template.

The generic vector friendly instruction format 1000 includes the following fields listed below in the order illustrated in FIGS. 10A-10B.

Format field 1040—a specific value (an instruction format identifier value) in this field uniquely identifies the vector friendly instruction format, and thus occurrences of instructions in the vector friendly instruction format in instruction streams. As such, this field is optional in the sense that it is not needed for an instruction set that has only the generic vector friendly instruction format.

Base operation field 1042—its content distinguishes different base operations.

Register index field 1044—its content, directly or through address generation, specifies the locations of the source and destination operands, be they in registers or in memory. These include a sufficient number of bits to select N registers from a P×Q (e.g. 32×512, 16×128, 32×1024, 64×1024) register file. While in one embodiment N may be up to three sources and one destination register, alternative embodiments may support more or less sources and destination registers (e.g., may support up to two sources where one of these sources also acts as the destination, may support up to three sources where one of these sources also acts as the destination, may support up to two sources and one destination).

Modifier field 1046—its content distinguishes occurrences of instructions in the generic vector instruction format that specify memory access from those that do not; that is, between no memory access 1005 instruction templates and memory access 1020 instruction templates. Memory access operations read and/or write to the memory hierarchy (in some cases specifying the source and/or destination addresses using values in registers), while non-memory access operations do not (e.g., the source and destinations are registers). While in one embodiment this field also selects between three different ways to perform memory address calculations, alternative embodiments may support more, less, or different ways to perform memory address calculations.

Augmentation operation field 1050—its content distinguishes which one of a variety of different operations to be performed in addition to the base operation. This field is context specific. In one embodiment of the invention, this field is divided into a class field 1068, an alpha field 1052, and a beta field 1054. The augmentation operation field 1050 allows common groups of operations to be performed in a single instruction rather than 2, 3, or 4 instructions.

Scale field 1060—its content allows for the scaling of the index field's content for memory address generation (e.g., for address generation that uses 2^(scale)*index+base).

Displacement Field 1062A—its content is used as part of memory address generation (e.g., for address generation that uses 2^(scale)*index+base+displacement).

Displacement Factor Field 1062B (note that the juxtaposition of displacement field 1062A directly over displacement factor field 1062B indicates one or the other is used)—its content is used as part of address generation; it specifies a displacement factor that is to be scaled by the size of a memory access (N)—where N is the number of bytes in the memory access (e.g., for address generation that uses 2^(scale)*index+base+scaled displacement). Redundant low-order bits are ignored and hence, the displacement factor field's content is multiplied by the memory operands total size (N) in order to generate the final displacement to be used in calculating an effective address. The value of N is determined by the processor hardware at runtime based on the full opcode field 1074 (described later herein) and the data manipulation field 1054C. The displacement field 1062A and the displacement factor field 1062B are optional in the sense that they are not used for the no memory access 1005 instruction templates and/or different embodiments may implement only one or none of the two.

Data element width field 1064—its content distinguishes which one of a number of data element widths is to be used (in some embodiments for all instructions; in other embodiments for only some of the instructions). This field is optional in the sense that it is not needed if only one data element width is supported and/or data element widths are supported using some aspect of the opcodes.

Write mask field 1070—its content controls, on a per data element position basis, whether that data element position in the destination vector operand reflects the result of the base operation and augmentation operation. Class A instruction templates support merging-writemasking, while class B instruction templates support both merging- and zeroing-writemasking. When merging, vector masks allow any set of elements in the destination to be protected from updates during the execution of any operation (specified by the base operation and the augmentation operation); in other one embodiment, preserving the old value of each element of the destination where the corresponding mask bit has a 0. In contrast, when zeroing vector masks allow any set of elements in the destination to be zeroed during the execution of any operation (specified by the base operation and the augmentation operation); in one embodiment, an element of the destination is set to 0 when the corresponding mask bit has a 0 value. A subset of this functionality is the ability to control the vector length of the operation being performed (that is, the span of elements being modified, from the first to the last one); however, it is not necessary that the elements that are modified be consecutive. Thus, the write mask field 1070 allows for partial vector operations, including loads, stores, arithmetic, logical, etc. While embodiments of the invention are described in which the write mask field's 1070 content selects one of a number of write mask registers that contains the write mask to be used (and thus the write mask field's 1070 content indirectly identifies that masking to be performed), alternative embodiments instead or additional allow the mask write field's 1070 content to directly specify the masking to be performed.

Immediate field 1072—its content allows for the specification of an immediate. This field is optional in the sense that is it not present in an implementation of the generic vector friendly format that does not support immediate and it is not present in instructions that do not use an immediate.

Class field 1068—its content distinguishes between different classes of instructions. With reference to FIGS. 10A-B, the contents of this field select between class A and class B instructions. In FIGS. 10A-B, rounded corner squares are used to indicate a specific value is present in a field (e.g., class A 1068A and class B 1068B for the class field 1068 respectively in FIGS. 10A-B).

Instruction Templates of Class A

In the case of the non-memory access 1005 instruction templates of class A, the alpha field 1052 is interpreted as an RS field 1052A, whose content distinguishes which one of the different augmentation operation types are to be performed (e.g., round 1052A.1 and data transform 1052A.2 are respectively specified for the no memory access, round type operation 1010 and the no memory access, data transform type operation 1015 instruction templates), while the beta field 1054 distinguishes which of the operations of the specified type is to be performed. In the no memory access 1005 instruction templates, the scale field 1060, the displacement field 1062A, and the displacement scale field 1062B are not present.

No-Memory Access Instruction Templates—Full Round Control Type Operation

In the no memory access full round control type operation 1010 instruction template, the beta field 1054 is interpreted as a round control field 1054A, whose content(s) provide static rounding. While in the described embodiments of the invention the round control field 1054A includes a suppress all floating point exceptions (SAE) field 1056 and a round operation control field 1058, alternative embodiments may support may encode both these concepts into the same field or only have one or the other of these concepts/fields (e.g., may have only the round operation control field 1058).

SAE field 1056—its content distinguishes whether or not to disable the exception event reporting; when the SAE field's 1056 content indicates suppression is enabled, a given instruction does not report any kind of floating-point exception flag and does not raise any floating point exception handler.

Round operation control field 1058—its content distinguishes which one of a group of rounding operations to perform (e.g., Round-up, Round-down, Round-towards-zero and Round-to-nearest). Thus, the round operation control field 1058 allows for the changing of the rounding mode on a per instruction basis. In one embodiment of the invention where a processor includes a control register for specifying rounding modes, the round operation control field's 1050 content overrides that register value.

No Memory Access Instruction Templates—Data Transform Type Operation

In the no memory access data transform type operation 1015 instruction template, the beta field 1054 is interpreted as a data transform field 1054B, whose content distinguishes which one of a number of data transforms is to be performed (e.g., no data transform, swizzle, broadcast).

In the case of a memory access 1020 instruction template of class A, the alpha field 1052 is interpreted as an eviction hint field 1052B, whose content distinguishes which one of the eviction hints is to be used (in FIG. 10A, temporal 1052B.1 and non-temporal 1052B.2 are respectively specified for the memory access, temporal 1025 instruction template and the memory access, non-temporal 1030 instruction template), while the beta field 1054 is interpreted as a data manipulation field 1054C, whose content distinguishes which one of a number of data manipulation operations (also known as primitives) is to be performed (e.g., no manipulation; broadcast; up conversion of a source; and down conversion of a destination). The memory access 1020 instruction templates include the scale field 1060, and optionally the displacement field 1062A or the displacement scale field 1062B.

Vector memory instructions perform vector loads from and vector stores to memory, with conversion support. As with regular vector instructions, vector memory instructions transfer data from/to memory in a data element-wise fashion, with the elements that are actually transferred is dictated by the contents of the vector mask that is selected as the write mask.

Memory Access Instruction Templates—Temporal

Temporal data is data likely to be reused soon enough to benefit from caching. This is, however, a hint, and different processors may implement it in different ways, including ignoring the hint entirely.

Memory Access Instruction Templates—Non-Temporal

Non-temporal data is data unlikely to be reused soon enough to benefit from caching in the 1st-level cache and should be given priority for eviction. This is, however, a hint, and different processors may implement it in different ways, including ignoring the hint entirely.

Instruction Templates of Class B

In the case of the instruction templates of class B, the alpha field 1052 is interpreted as a write mask control (Z) field 1052C, whose content distinguishes whether the write masking controlled by the write mask field 1070 should be a merging or a zeroing.

In the case of the non-memory access 1005 instruction templates of class B, part of the beta field 1054 is interpreted as an RL field 1057A, whose content distinguishes which one of the different augmentation operation types are to be performed (e.g., round 1057A.1 and vector length (VSIZE) 1057A.2 are respectively specified for the no memory access, write mask control, partial round control type operation 1012 instruction template and the no memory access, write mask control, VSIZE type operation 1017 instruction template), while the rest of the beta field 1054 distinguishes which of the operations of the specified type is to be performed. In the no memory access 1005 instruction templates, the scale field 1060, the displacement field 1062A, and the displacement scale field 1062B are not present.

In the no memory access, write mask control, partial round control type operation 1010 instruction template, the rest of the beta field 1054 is interpreted as a round operation field 1059A and exception event reporting is disabled (a given instruction does not report any kind of floating-point exception flag and does not raise any floating point exception handler).

Round operation control field 1059A—just as round operation control field 1058, its content distinguishes which one of a group of rounding operations to perform (e.g., Round-up, Round-down, Round-towards-zero and Round-to-nearest). Thus, the round operation control field 1059A allows for the changing of the rounding mode on a per instruction basis. In one embodiment of the invention where a processor includes a control register for specifying rounding modes, the round operation control field's 1050 content overrides that register value.

In the no memory access, write mask control, VSIZE type operation 1017 instruction template, the rest of the beta field 1054 is interpreted as a vector length field 1059B, whose content distinguishes which one of a number of data vector lengths is to be performed on (e.g., 128, 256, or 512 byte).

In the case of a memory access 1020 instruction template of class B, part of the beta field 1054 is interpreted as a broadcast field 1057B, whose content distinguishes whether or not the broadcast type data manipulation operation is to be performed, while the rest of the beta field 1054 is interpreted the vector length field 1059B. The memory access 1020 instruction templates include the scale field 1060, and optionally the displacement field 1062A or the displacement scale field 1062B.

With regard to the generic vector friendly instruction format 1000, a full opcode field 1074 is shown including the format field 1040, the base operation field 1042, and the data element width field 1064. While one embodiment is shown where the full opcode field 1074 includes all of these fields, the full opcode field 1074 includes less than all of these fields in embodiments that do not support all of them. The full opcode field 1074 provides the operation code (opcode).

The augmentation operation field 1050, the data element width field 1064, and the write mask field 1070 allow these features to be specified on a per instruction basis in the generic vector friendly instruction format.

The combination of write mask field and data element width field create typed instructions in that they allow the mask to be applied based on different data element widths.

The various instruction templates found within class A and class B are beneficial in different situations. In some embodiments of the invention, different processors or different cores within a processor may support only class A, only class B, or both classes. For instance, a high performance general purpose out-of-order core intended for general-purpose computing may support only class B, a core intended primarily for graphics and/or scientific (throughput) computing may support only class A, and a core intended for both may support both (of course, a core that has some mix of templates and instructions from both classes but not all templates and instructions from both classes is within the purview of the invention). Also, a single processor may include multiple cores, all of which support the same class or in which different cores support different class. For instance, in a processor with separate graphics and general purpose cores, one of the graphics cores intended primarily for graphics and/or scientific computing may support only class A, while one or more of the general purpose cores may be high performance general purpose cores with out of order execution and register renaming intended for general-purpose computing that support only class B. Another processor that does not have a separate graphics core, may include one more general purpose in-order or out-of-order cores that support both class A and class B. Of course, features from one class may also be implement in the other class in different embodiments of the invention. Programs written in a high level language would be put (e.g., just in time compiled or statically compiled) into an variety of different executable forms, including: 1) a form having only instructions of the class(es) supported by the target processor for execution; or 2) a form having alternative routines written using different combinations of the instructions of all classes and having control flow code that selects the routines to execute based on the instructions supported by the processor which is currently executing the code.

Exemplary Specific Vector Friendly Instruction Format

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary specific vector friendly instruction format according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 11 shows a specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 that is specific in the sense that it specifies the location, size, interpretation, and order of the fields, as well as values for some of those fields. The specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 may be used to extend the x86 instruction set, and thus some of the fields are similar or the same as those used in the existing x86 instruction set and extension thereof (e.g., AVX). This format remains consistent with the prefix encoding field, real opcode byte field, MOD R/M field, SIB field, displacement field, and immediate fields of the existing x86 instruction set with extensions. The fields from FIG. 10 into which the fields from FIG. 11 map are illustrated.

It should be understood that, although embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 in the context of the generic vector friendly instruction format 1000 for illustrative purposes, the invention is not limited to the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 except where claimed. For example, the generic vector friendly instruction format 1000 contemplates a variety of possible sizes for the various fields, while the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 is shown as having fields of specific sizes. By way of specific example, while the data element width field 1064 is illustrated as a one bit field in the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100, the invention is not so limited (that is, the generic vector friendly instruction format 1000 contemplates other sizes of the data element width field 1064).

The generic vector friendly instruction format 1000 includes the following fields listed below in the order illustrated in FIG. 11A.

EVEX Prefix (Bytes 0-3) 1102—is encoded in a four-byte form.

Format Field 1040 (EVEX Byte 0, bits [7:0])—the first byte (EVEX Byte 0) is the format field 1040 and it contains 0x62 (the unique value used for distinguishing the vector friendly instruction format in one embodiment of the invention).

The second-fourth bytes (EVEX Bytes 1-3) include a number of bit fields providing specific capability.

REX field 1105 (EVEX Byte 1, bits [7-5])—consists of a EVEX.R bit field (EVEX Byte 1, bit [7]-R), EVEX.X bit field (EVEX byte 1, bit [6]-X), and 1057BEX byte 1, bit[5]-B). The EVEX.R, EVEX.X, and EVEX.B bit fields provide the same functionality as the corresponding VEX bit fields, and are encoded using 1s complement form, i.e. ZMM0 is encoded as 1111B, ZMM15 is encoded as 0000B. Other fields of the instructions encode the lower three bits of the register indexes as is known in the art (rrr, xxx, and bbb), so that Rrrr, Xxxx, and Bbbb may be formed by adding EVEX.R, EVEX.X, and EVEX.B.

REX′ field 1010—this is the first part of the REX′ field 1010 and is the EVEX.R′ bit field (EVEX Byte 1, bit [4]-R′) that is used to encode either the upper 16 or lower 16 of the extended 32 register set. In one embodiment of the invention, this bit, along with others as indicated below, is stored in bit inverted format to distinguish (in the well-known x86 32-bit mode) from the BOUND instruction, whose real opcode byte is 62, but does not accept in the MOD R/M field (described below) the value of 11 in the MOD field; alternative embodiments of the invention do not store this and the other indicated bits below in the inverted format. A value of 1 is used to encode the lower 16 registers. In other words, R′Rrrr is formed by combining EVEX.R′, EVEX.R, and the other RRR from other fields.

Opcode map field 1115 (EVEX byte 1, bits [3:0]-mmmm)—its content encodes an implied leading opcode byte (0F, 0F 38, or 0F 3).

Data element width field 1064 (EVEX byte 2, bit [7]-W)—is represented by the notation EVEX.W. EVEX.W is used to define the granularity (size) of the datatype (either 32-bit data elements or 64-bit data elements).

EVEX.vvvv 1120 (EVEX Byte 2, bits [6:3]-vvvv)—the role of EVEX.vvvv may include the following: 1) EVEX.vvvv encodes the first source register operand, specified in inverted (1s complement) form and is valid for instructions with 2 or more source operands; 2) EVEX.vvvv encodes the destination register operand, specified in 1s complement form for certain vector shifts; or 3) EVEX.vvvv does not encode any operand, the field is reserved and should contain 111 lb. Thus, EVEX.vvvv field 1120 encodes the 4 low-order bits of the first source register specifier stored in inverted (1s complement) form. Depending on the instruction, an extra different EVEX bit field is used to extend the specifier size to 32 registers.

EVEX.U 1068 Class field (EVEX byte 2, bit [2]-U)—If EVEX.U=0, it indicates class A or EVEX.U0; if EVEX.U=1, it indicates class B or EVEX.U1.

Prefix encoding field 1125 (EVEX byte 2, bits [1:0]-pp)—provides additional bits for the base operation field. In addition to providing support for the legacy SSE instructions in the EVEX prefix format, this also has the benefit of compacting the SIMD prefix (rather than requiring a byte to express the SIMD prefix, the EVEX prefix requires only 2 bits). In one embodiment, to support legacy SSE instructions that use a SIMD prefix (66H, F2H, F3H) in both the legacy format and in the EVEX prefix format, these legacy SIMD prefixes are encoded into the SIMD prefix encoding field; and at runtime are expanded into the legacy SIMD prefix prior to being provided to the decoder's PLA (so the PLA can execute both the legacy and EVEX format of these legacy instructions without modification). Although newer instructions could use the EVEX prefix encoding field's content directly as an opcode extension, certain embodiments expand in a similar fashion for consistency but allow for different meanings to be specified by these legacy SIMD prefixes. An alternative embodiment may redesign the PLA to support the 2 bit SIMD prefix encodings, and thus not require the expansion.

Alpha field 1052 (EVEX byte 3, bit [7]-EH; also known as EVEX.EH, EVEX.rs, EVEX.RL, EVEX.write mask control, and EVEX.N; also illustrated with α)—as previously described, this field is context specific.

Beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bits [6:4]-SSS, also known as EVEX.s₂₋₀, EVEX.r₂₋₀, EVEX.rr1, EVEX.LL0, EVEX.LLB; also illustrated with βββ)—as previously described, this field is context specific.

REX′ field 1010—this is the remainder of the REX′ field and is the EVEX.V′ bit field (EVEX Byte 3, bit [3]-V′) that may be used to encode either the upper 16 or lower 16 of the extended 32 register set. This bit is stored in bit inverted format. A value of 1 is used to encode the lower 16 registers. In other words, V′VVVV is formed by combining EVEX.V′, EVEX.vvvv.

Write mask field 1070 (EVEX byte 3, bits [2:0]-kkk)—its content specifies the index of a register in the write mask registers as previously described. In one embodiment of the invention, the specific value EVEX.kkk=000 has a special behavior implying no write mask is used for the particular instruction (this may be implemented in a variety of ways including the use of a write mask hardwired to all ones or hardware that bypasses the masking hardware).

Real Opcode Field 1130 (Byte 4) is also known as the opcode byte. Part of the opcode is specified in this field.

MOD R/M Field 1140 (Byte 5) includes MOD field 1142, Reg field 1144, and R/M field 1146. As previously described, the MOD field's 1142 content distinguishes between memory access and non-memory access operations. The role of Reg field 1144 can be summarized to two situations: encoding either the destination register operand or a source register operand, or be treated as an opcode extension and not used to encode any instruction operand. The role of R/M field 1146 may include the following: encoding the instruction operand that references a memory address, or encoding either the destination register operand or a source register operand.

Scale, Index, Base (SIB) Byte (Byte 6)—As previously described, the scale field's 1050 content is used for memory address generation. SIB.xxx 1154 and SIB.bbb 1156—the contents of these fields have been previously referred to with regard to the register indexes Xxxx and Bbbb.

Displacement field 1062A (Bytes 7-10)—when MOD field 1142 contains 10, bytes 7-10 are the displacement field 1062A, and it works the same as the legacy 32-bit displacement (disp32) and works at byte granularity.

Displacement factor field 1062B (Byte 7)—when MOD field 1142 contains 01, byte 7 is the displacement factor field 1062B. The location of this field is that same as that of the legacy x86 instruction set 8-bit displacement (disp8), which works at byte granularity. Since disp8 is sign extended, it can only address between −128 and 127 bytes offsets; in terms of 64 byte cache lines, disp8 uses 8 bits that can be set to only four really useful values −128, −64, 0, and 64; since a greater range is often needed, disp32 is used; however, disp32 requires 4 bytes. In contrast to disp8 and disp32, the displacement factor field 1062B is a reinterpretation of disp8; when using displacement factor field 1062B, the actual displacement is determined by the content of the displacement factor field multiplied by the size of the memory operand access (N). This type of displacement is referred to as disp8*N. This reduces the average instruction length (a single byte of used for the displacement but with a much greater range). Such compressed displacement is based on the assumption that the effective displacement is multiple of the granularity of the memory access, and hence, the redundant low-order bits of the address offset do not need to be encoded. In other words, the displacement factor field 1062B substitutes the legacy x86 instruction set 8-bit displacement. Thus, the displacement factor field 1062B is encoded the same way as an x86 instruction set 8-bit displacement (so no changes in the ModRM/SIB encoding rules) with the only exception that disp8 is overloaded to disp8*N. In other words, there are no changes in the encoding rules or encoding lengths but only in the interpretation of the displacement value by hardware (which needs to scale the displacement by the size of the memory operand to obtain a byte-wise address offset).

Immediate field 1072 operates as previously described.

Full Opcode Field

FIG. 11B is a block diagram illustrating the fields of the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 that make up the full opcode field 1074 according to one embodiment of the invention. Specifically, the full opcode field 1074 includes the format field 1040, the base operation field 1042, and the data element width (W) field 1064. The base operation field 1042 includes the prefix encoding field 1125, the opcode map field 1115, and the real opcode field 1130.

Register Index Field

FIG. 11C is a block diagram illustrating the fields of the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 that make up the register index field 1044 according to one embodiment of the invention. Specifically, the register index field 1044 includes the REX field 1105, the REX′ field 1110, the MODR/M.reg field 1144, the MODR/M.r/m field 1146, the VVVV field 1120, xxx field 1154, and the bbb field 1156.

Augmentation Operation Field

FIG. 11D is a block diagram illustrating the fields of the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 that make up the augmentation operation field 1050 according to one embodiment of the invention. When the class (U) field 1068 contains 0, it signifies EVEX.U0 (class A 1068A); when it contains 1, it signifies EVEX.U1 (class B 1068B). When U=0 and the MOD field 1142 contains 11 (signifying a no memory access operation), the alpha field 1052 (EVEX byte 3, bit [7]-EH) is interpreted as the rs field 1052A. When the rs field 1052A contains a 1 (round 1052A.1), the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bits [6:4]-SSS) is interpreted as the round control field 1054A. The round control field 1054A includes a one bit SAE field 1056 and a two bit round operation field 1058. When the rs field 1052A contains a 0 (data transform 1052A.2), the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bits [6:4]-SSS) is interpreted as a three bit data transform field 1054B. When U=0 and the MOD field 1142 contains 00, 01, or 10 (signifying a memory access operation), the alpha field 1052 (EVEX byte 3, bit [7]-EH) is interpreted as the eviction hint (EH) field 1052B and the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bits [6:4]-SSS) is interpreted as a three bit data manipulation field 1054C.

When U=1, the alpha field 1052 (EVEX byte 3, bit [7]-EH) is interpreted as the write mask control (Z) field 1052C. When U=1 and the MOD field 1142 contains 11 (signifying a no memory access operation), part of the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bit [4]-S₀) is interpreted as the RL field 1057A; when it contains a 1 (round 1057A.1) the rest of the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bit [6-5]-S₂₋₁) is interpreted as the round operation field 1059A, while when the RL field 1057A contains a 0 (VSIZE 1057.A2) the rest of the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bit [6-5]-S₂₋₁) is interpreted as the vector length field 1059B (EVEX byte 3, bit [6-5]-L₁₋₀). When U=1 and the MOD field 1142 contains 00, 01, or 10 (signifying a memory access operation), the beta field 1054 (EVEX byte 3, bits [6:4]-SSS) is interpreted as the vector length field 1059B (EVEX byte 3, bit [6-5]-L₁₋₀) and the broadcast field 1057B (EVEX byte 3, bit [4]-B).

Exemplary Register Architecture

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a register architecture 1200 according to one embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment illustrated, there are 32 vector registers 1210 that are 512 bits wide; these registers are referenced as zmm0 through zmm31. The lower order 256 bits of the lower 16 zmm registers are overlaid on registers ymm0-16. The lower order 128 bits of the lower 16 zmm registers (the lower order 128 bits of the ymm registers) are overlaid on registers xmm0-15. The specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 operates on these overlaid register file as illustrated in the below tables.

Adjustable Vector Length Class Operations Registers Instruction Templates A 1010, 1015, zmm registers (the that do not include the (FIG. 10A; 1025, 1030 vector length is 64 vector length field U = 0) byte) 1059B B 1012 zmm registers (the (FIG. 10B; vector length is 64 U = 1) byte) Instruction templates B 1017, 1027 zmm, ymm, or xmm that do include the (FIG. 10B; registers (the vector vector length field U = 1) length is 64 byte, 1059B 32 byte, or 16 byte) depending on the vector length field 1059B

In other words, the vector length field 1059B selects between a maximum length and one or more other shorter lengths, where each such shorter length is half the length of the preceding length; and instructions templates without the vector length field 1059B operate on the maximum vector length. Further, in one embodiment, the class B instruction templates of the specific vector friendly instruction format 1100 operate on packed or scalar single/double-precision floating point data and packed or scalar integer data. Scalar operations are operations performed on the lowest order data element position in an zmm/ymm/xmm register; the higher order data element positions are either left the same as they were prior to the instruction or zeroed depending on the embodiment.

Write mask registers 1215—in the embodiment illustrated, there are 8 write mask registers (k0 through k7), each 64 bits in size. In an alternate embodiment, the write mask registers 1215 are 16 bits in size. As previously described, in one embodiment of the invention, the vector mask register k0 cannot be used as a write mask; when the encoding that would normally indicate k0 is used for a write mask, it selects a hardwired write mask of 0xFFFF, effectively disabling write masking for that instruction.

General-purpose registers 1225—in the embodiment illustrated, there are sixteen 64-bit general-purpose registers that are used along with the existing x86 addressing modes to address memory operands. These registers are referenced by the names RAX, RBX, RCX, RDX, RBP, RSI, RDI, RSP, and R8 through R15.

Scalar floating point stack register file (x87 stack) 1245, on which is aliased the MMX packed integer flat register file 1250—in the embodiment illustrated, the x87 stack is an eight-element stack used to perform scalar floating-point operations on 32/64/80-bit floating point data using the x87 instruction set extension; while the MMX registers are used to perform operations on 64-bit packed integer data, as well as to hold operands for some operations performed between the MMX and XMM registers.

Alternative embodiments of the invention may use wider or narrower registers. Additionally, alternative embodiments of the invention may use more, less, or different register files and registers.

Exemplary Core Architectures, Processors, and Computer Architectures

Processor cores may be implemented in different ways, for different purposes, and in different processors. For instance, implementations of such cores may include: 1) a general purpose in-order core intended for general-purpose computing; 2) a high performance general purpose out-of-order core intended for general-purpose computing; 3) a special purpose core intended primarily for graphics and/or scientific (throughput) computing. Implementations of different processors may include: 1) a CPU including one or more general purpose in-order cores intended for general-purpose computing and/or one or more general purpose out-of-order cores intended for general-purpose computing; and 2) a coprocessor including one or more special purpose cores intended primarily for graphics and/or scientific (throughput). Such different processors lead to different computer system architectures, which may include: 1) the coprocessor on a separate chip from the CPU; 2) the coprocessor on a separate die in the same package as a CPU; 3) the coprocessor on the same die as a CPU (in which case, such a coprocessor is sometimes referred to as special purpose logic, such as integrated graphics and/or scientific (throughput) logic, or as special purpose cores); and 4) a system on a chip that may include on the same die the described CPU (sometimes referred to as the application core(s) or application processor(s)), the above described coprocessor, and additional functionality. Exemplary core architectures are described next, followed by descriptions of exemplary processors and computer architectures.

Exemplary Core Architectures In-Order and Out-of-Order Core Block Diagram

FIG. 13A is a block diagram illustrating both an exemplary in-order pipeline and an exemplary register renaming, out-of-order issue/execution pipeline according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 13B is a block diagram illustrating both an exemplary embodiment of an in-order architecture core and an exemplary register renaming, out-of-order issue/execution architecture core to be included in a processor according to embodiments of the invention. The solid lined boxes in FIGS. 13A-B illustrate the in-order pipeline and in-order core, while the optional addition of the dashed lined boxes illustrates the register renaming, out-of-order issue/execution pipeline and core. Given that the in-order aspect is a subset of the out-of-order aspect, the out-of-order aspect will be described.

In FIG. 13A, a processor pipeline 1300 includes a fetch stage 1302, a length decode stage 1304, a decode stage 1306, an allocation stage 1308, a renaming stage 1310, a scheduling (also known as a dispatch or issue) stage 1312, a register read/memory read stage 1314, an execute stage 1316, a write back/memory write stage 1318, an exception handling stage 1322, and a commit stage 1324.

FIG. 13B shows processor core 1390 including a front end unit 1330 coupled to an execution engine unit 1350, and both are coupled to a memory unit 1370. The core 1390 may be a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) core, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) core, a very long instruction word (VLIW) core, or a hybrid or alternative core type. As yet another option, the core 1390 may be a special-purpose core, such as, for example, a network or communication core, compression engine, coprocessor core, general purpose computing graphics processing unit (GPGPU) core, graphics core, or the like.

The front end unit 1330 includes a branch prediction unit 1332 coupled to an instruction cache unit 1334, which is coupled to an instruction translation lookaside buffer (TLB) 1336, which is coupled to an instruction fetch unit 1338, which is coupled to a decode unit 1340. The decode unit 1340 (or decoder) may decode instructions, and generate as an output one or more micro-operations, micro-code entry points, microinstructions, other instructions, or other control signals, which are decoded from, or which otherwise reflect, or are derived from, the original instructions. The decode unit 1340 may be implemented using various different mechanisms. Examples of suitable mechanisms include, but are not limited to, look-up tables, hardware implementations, programmable logic arrays (PLAs), microcode read only memories (ROMs), etc. In one embodiment, the core 1390 includes a microcode ROM or other medium that stores microcode for certain macroinstructions (e.g., in decode unit 1340 or otherwise within the front end unit 1330). The decode unit 1340 is coupled to a rename/allocator unit 1352 in the execution engine unit 1350.

The execution engine unit 1350 includes the rename/allocator unit 1352 coupled to a retirement unit 1354 and a set of one or more scheduler unit(s) 1356. The scheduler unit(s) 1356 represents any number of different schedulers, including reservations stations, central instruction window, etc. The scheduler unit(s) 1356 is coupled to the physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358. Each of the physical register file(s) units 1358 represents one or more physical register files, different ones of which store one or more different data types, such as scalar integer, scalar floating point, packed integer, packed floating point, vector integer, vector floating point, status (e.g., an instruction pointer that is the address of the next instruction to be executed), etc. In one embodiment, the physical register file(s) unit 1358 comprises a vector registers unit, a write mask registers unit, and a scalar registers unit. These register units may provide architectural vector registers, vector mask registers, and general purpose registers. The physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358 is overlapped by the retirement unit 1354 to illustrate various ways in which register renaming and out-of-order execution may be implemented (e.g., using a reorder buffer(s) and a retirement register file(s); using a future file(s), a history buffer(s), and a retirement register file(s); using a register maps and a pool of registers; etc.). The retirement unit 1354 and the physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358 are coupled to the execution cluster(s) 1360. The execution cluster(s) 1360 includes a set of one or more execution units 1362 and a set of one or more memory access units 1364. The execution units 1362 may perform various operations (e.g., shifts, addition, subtraction, multiplication) and on various types of data (e.g., scalar floating point, packed integer, packed floating point, vector integer, vector floating point). While some embodiments may include a number of execution units dedicated to specific functions or sets of functions, other embodiments may include only one execution unit or multiple execution units that all perform all functions. The scheduler unit(s) 1356, physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358, and execution cluster(s) 1360 are shown as being possibly plural because certain embodiments create separate pipelines for certain types of data/operations (e.g., a scalar integer pipeline, a scalar floating point/packed integer/packed floating point/vector integer/vector floating point pipeline, and/or a memory access pipeline that each have their own scheduler unit, physical register file(s) unit, and/or execution cluster—and in the case of a separate memory access pipeline, certain embodiments are implemented in which only the execution cluster of this pipeline has the memory access unit(s) 1364). It should also be understood that where separate pipelines are used, one or more of these pipelines may be out-of-order issue/execution and the rest in-order.

The set of memory access units 1364 is coupled to the memory unit 1370, which includes a data TLB unit 1372 coupled to a data cache unit 1374 coupled to a level 2 (L2) cache unit 1376. In one exemplary embodiment, the memory access units 1364 may include a load unit, a store address unit, and a store data unit, each of which is coupled to the data TLB unit 1372 in the memory unit 1370. The instruction cache unit 1334 is further coupled to a level 2 (L2) cache unit 1376 in the memory unit 1370. The L2 cache unit 1376 is coupled to one or more other levels of cache and eventually to a main memory.

By way of example, the exemplary register renaming, out-of-order issue/execution core architecture may implement the pipeline 1300 as follows: 1) the instruction fetch 1338 performs the fetch and length decoding stages 1302 and 1304; 2) the decode unit 1340 performs the decode stage 1306; 3) the rename/allocator unit 1352 performs the allocation stage 1308 and renaming stage 1310; 4) the scheduler unit(s) 1356 performs the schedule stage 1312; 5) the physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358 and the memory unit 1370 perform the register read/memory read stage 1314; the execution cluster 1360 perform the execute stage 1316; 6) the memory unit 1370 and the physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358 perform the write back/memory write stage 1318; 7) various units may be involved in the exception handling stage 1322; and 8) the retirement unit 1354 and the physical register file(s) unit(s) 1358 perform the commit stage 1324.

The core 1390 may support one or more instructions sets (e.g., the x86 instruction set (with some extensions that have been added with newer versions); the MIPS instruction set of MIPS Technologies of Sunnyvale, Calif.; the ARM instruction set (with optional additional extensions such as NEON) of ARM Holdings of Sunnyvale, Calif.), including the instruction(s) described herein. In one embodiment, the core 1390 includes logic to support a packed data instruction set extension (e.g., AVX1, AVX2), thereby allowing the operations used by many multimedia applications to be performed using packed data.

It should be understood that the core may support multithreading (executing two or more parallel sets of operations or threads), and may do so in a variety of ways including time sliced multithreading, simultaneous multithreading (where a single physical core provides a logical core for each of the threads that physical core is simultaneously multithreading), or a combination thereof (e.g., time sliced fetching and decoding and simultaneous multithreading thereafter such as in the Intel® Hyperthreading technology).

While register renaming is described in the context of out-of-order execution, it should be understood that register renaming may be used in an in-order architecture. While the illustrated embodiment of the processor also includes separate instruction and data cache units 1334/1374 and a shared L2 cache unit 1376, alternative embodiments may have a single internal cache for both instructions and data, such as, for example, a Level 1 (L1) internal cache, or multiple levels of internal cache. In some embodiments, the system may include a combination of an internal cache and an external cache that is external to the core and/or the processor. Alternatively, all of the cache may be external to the core and/or the processor.

Specific Exemplary In-Order Core Architecture

FIGS. 14A-B illustrate a block diagram of a more specific exemplary in-order core architecture, which core would be one of several logic blocks (including other cores of the same type and/or different types) in a chip. The logic blocks communicate through a high-bandwidth interconnect network (e.g., a ring network) with some fixed function logic, memory I/O interfaces, and other necessary I/O logic, depending on the application.

FIG. 14A is a block diagram of a single processor core, along with its connection to the on-die interconnect network 1402 and with its local subset of the Level 2 (L2) cache 1404, according to embodiments of the invention. In one embodiment, an instruction decoder 1400 supports the x86 instruction set with a packed data instruction set extension. An L1 cache 1406 allows low-latency accesses to cache memory into the scalar and vector units. While in one embodiment (to simplify the design), a scalar unit 1408 and a vector unit 1410 use separate register sets (respectively, scalar registers 1412 and vector registers 1414) and data transferred between them is written to memory and then read back in from a level 1 (L1) cache 1406, alternative embodiments of the invention may use a different approach (e.g., use a single register set or include a communication path that allow data to be transferred between the two register files without being written and read back).

The local subset of the L2 cache 1404 is part of a global L2 cache that is divided into separate local subsets, one per processor core. Each processor core has a direct access path to its own local subset of the L2 cache 1404. Data read by a processor core is stored in its L2 cache subset 1404 and can be accessed quickly, in parallel with other processor cores accessing their own local L2 cache subsets. Data written by a processor core is stored in its own L2 cache subset 1404 and is flushed from other subsets, if necessary. The ring network ensures coherency for shared data. The ring network is bi-directional to allow agents such as processor cores, L2 caches and other logic blocks to communicate with each other within the chip. Each ring data-path is 1012-bits wide per direction.

FIG. 14B is an expanded view of part of the processor core in FIG. 14A according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 14B includes an L1 data cache 1406A part of the L1 cache 1404, as well as more detail regarding the vector unit 1410 and the vector registers 1414. Specifically, the vector unit 1410 is a 16-wide vector processing unit (VPU) (see the 16-wide ALU 1428), which executes one or more of integer, single-precision float, and double-precision float instructions. The VPU supports swizzling the register inputs with swizzle unit 1420, numeric conversion with numeric convert units 1422A-B, and replication with replication unit 1424 on the memory input. Write mask registers 1426 allow predicating resulting vector writes.

Processor with Integrated Memory Controller and Graphics

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a processor 1500 that may have more than one core, may have an integrated memory controller, and may have integrated graphics according to embodiments of the invention. The solid lined boxes in FIG. 15 illustrate a processor 1500 with a single core 1502A, a system agent 1510, a set of one or more bus controller units 1516, while the optional addition of the dashed lined boxes illustrates an alternative processor 1500 with multiple cores 1502A-N, a set of one or more integrated memory controller unit(s) 1514 in the system agent unit 1510, and special purpose logic 1508.

Thus, different implementations of the processor 1500 may include: 1) a CPU with the special purpose logic 1508 being integrated graphics and/or scientific (throughput) logic (which may include one or more cores), and the cores 1502A-N being one or more general purpose cores (e.g., general purpose in-order cores, general purpose out-of-order cores, a combination of the two); 2) a coprocessor with the cores 1502A-N being a large number of special purpose cores intended primarily for graphics and/or scientific (throughput); and 3) a coprocessor with the cores 1502A-N being a large number of general purpose in-order cores. Thus, the processor 1500 may be a general-purpose processor, coprocessor or special-purpose processor, such as, for example, a network or communication processor, compression engine, graphics processor, GPGPU (general purpose graphics processing unit), a high-throughput many integrated core (MIC) coprocessor (including 30 or more cores), embedded processor, or the like. The processor may be implemented on one or more chips. The processor 1500 may be a part of and/or may be implemented on one or more substrates using any of a number of process technologies, such as, for example, BiCMOS, CMOS, or NMOS.

The memory hierarchy includes one or more levels of cache within the cores, a set or one or more shared cache units 1506, and external memory (not shown) coupled to the set of integrated memory controller units 1514. The set of shared cache units 1506 may include one or more mid-level caches, such as level 2 (L2), level 3 (L3), level 4 (L4), or other levels of cache, a last level cache (LLC), and/or combinations thereof. While in one embodiment a ring based interconnect unit 1512 interconnects the integrated graphics logic 1508, the set of shared cache units 1506, and the system agent unit 1510/integrated memory controller unit(s) 1514, alternative embodiments may use any number of well-known techniques for interconnecting such units. In one embodiment, coherency is maintained between one or more cache units 1506 and cores 1502-A-N.

In some embodiments, one or more of the cores 1502A-N are capable of multithreading. The system agent 1510 includes those components coordinating and operating cores 1502A-N. The system agent unit 1510 may include for example a power control unit (PCU) and a display unit. The PCU may be or include logic and components needed for regulating the power state of the cores 1502A-N and the integrated graphics logic 1508. The display unit is for driving one or more externally connected displays.

The cores 1502A-N may be homogenous or heterogeneous in terms of architecture instruction set; that is, two or more of the cores 1502A-N may be capable of execution the same instruction set, while others may be capable of executing only a subset of that instruction set or a different instruction set.

Exemplary Computer Architectures

FIGS. 16-19 are block diagrams of exemplary computer architectures. Other system designs and configurations known in the arts for laptops, desktops, handheld PCs, personal digital assistants, engineering workstations, servers, network devices, network hubs, switches, embedded processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), graphics devices, video game devices, set-top boxes, micro controllers, cell phones, portable media players, hand held devices, and various other electronic devices, are also suitable. In general, a huge variety of systems or electronic devices capable of incorporating a processor and/or other execution logic as disclosed herein are generally suitable.

Referring now to FIG. 16, shown is a block diagram of a system 1600 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system 1600 may include one or more processors 1610, 1615, which are coupled to a controller hub 1620. In one embodiment the controller hub 1620 includes a graphics memory controller hub (GMCH) 1690 and an Input/Output Hub (IOH) 1650 (which may be on separate chips); the GMCH 1690 includes memory and graphics controllers to which are coupled memory 1640 and a coprocessor 1645; the IOH 1650 is couples input/output (I/O) devices 1660 to the GMCH 1690. Alternatively, one or both of the memory and graphics controllers are integrated within the processor (as described herein), the memory 1640 and the coprocessor 1645 are coupled directly to the processor 1610, and the controller hub 1620 in a single chip with the IOH 1650.

The optional nature of additional processors 1615 is denoted in FIG. 16 with broken lines. Each processor 1610, 1615 may include one or more of the processing cores described herein and may be some version of the processor 1500.

The memory 1640 may be, for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase change memory (PCM), or a combination of the two. For at least one embodiment, the controller hub 1620 communicates with the processor(s) 1610, 1615 via a multi-drop bus, such as a frontside bus (FSB), point-to-point interface such as QuickPath Interconnect (QPI), or similar connection 1695.

In one embodiment, the coprocessor 1645 is a special-purpose processor, such as, for example, a high-throughput MIC processor, a network or communication processor, compression engine, graphics processor, GPGPU, embedded processor, or the like. In one embodiment, controller hub 1620 may include an integrated graphics accelerator.

There can be a variety of differences between the physical resources 1610, 1615 in terms of a spectrum of metrics of merit including architectural, microarchitectural, thermal, power consumption characteristics, and the like.

In one embodiment, the processor 1610 executes instructions that control data processing operations of a general type. Embedded within the instructions may be coprocessor instructions. The processor 1610 recognizes these coprocessor instructions as being of a type that should be executed by the attached coprocessor 1645. Accordingly, the processor 1610 issues these coprocessor instructions (or control signals representing coprocessor instructions) on a coprocessor bus or other interconnect, to coprocessor 1645. Coprocessor(s) 1645 accept and execute the received coprocessor instructions.

Referring now to FIG. 17, shown is a block diagram of a first more specific exemplary system 1700 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 17, multiprocessor system 1700 is a point-to-point interconnect system, and includes a first processor 1770 and a second processor 1780 coupled via a point-to-point interconnect 1750. Each of processors 1770 and 1780 may be some version of the processor 1500. In one embodiment of the invention, processors 1770 and 1780 are respectively processors 1610 and 1615, while coprocessor 1738 is coprocessor 1645. In another embodiment, processors 1770 and 1780 are respectively processor 1610 coprocessor 1645.

Processors 1770 and 1780 are shown including integrated memory controller (IMC) units 1772 and 1782, respectively. Processor 1770 also includes as part of its bus controller units point-to-point (P-P) interfaces 1776 and 1778; similarly, second processor 1780 includes P-P interfaces 1786 and 1788. Processors 1770, 1780 may exchange information via a point-to-point (P-P) interface 1750 using P-P interface circuits 1778, 1788. As shown in FIG. 17, IMCs 1772 and 1782 couple the processors to respective memories, namely a memory 1732 and a memory 1734, which may be portions of main memory locally attached to the respective processors.

Processors 1770, 1780 may each exchange information with a chipset 1790 via individual P-P interfaces 1752, 1754 using point to point interface circuits 1776, 1794, 1786, 1798. Chipset 1790 may optionally exchange information with the coprocessor 1738 via a high-performance interface 1739. In one embodiment, the coprocessor 1738 is a special-purpose processor, such as, for example, a high-throughput MIC processor, a network or communication processor, compression engine, graphics processor, GPGPU, embedded processor, or the like.

A shared cache (not shown) may be included in either processor or outside of both processors, yet connected with the processors via P-P interconnect, such that either or both processors' local cache information may be stored in the shared cache if a processor is placed into a low power mode.

Chipset 1790 may be coupled to a first bus 1716 via an interface 1796. In one embodiment, first bus 1716 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or a bus such as a PCI Express bus or another third generation I/O interconnect bus, although the scope of the present invention is not so limited.

As shown in FIG. 17, various I/O devices 1714 may be coupled to first bus 1716, along with a bus bridge 1718 which couples first bus 1716 to a second bus 1720. In one embodiment, one or more additional processor(s) 1715, such as coprocessors, high-throughput MIC processors, GPGPU's, accelerators (such as, e.g., graphics accelerators or digital signal processing (DSP) units), field programmable gate arrays, or any other processor, are coupled to first bus 1716. In one embodiment, second bus 1720 may be a low pin count (LPC) bus. Various devices may be coupled to a second bus 1720 including, for example, a keyboard and/or mouse 1722, communication devices 1727 and a storage unit 1728 such as a disk drive or other mass storage device which may include instructions/code and data 1730, in one embodiment. Further, an audio I/O 1724 may be coupled to the second bus 1720. Note that other architectures are possible. For example, instead of the point-to-point architecture of FIG. 17, a system may implement a multi-drop bus or other such architecture.

Referring now to FIG. 18, shown is a block diagram of a second more specific exemplary system 1800 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Like elements in FIGS. 17 and 18 bear like reference numerals, and certain aspects of FIG. 17 have been omitted from FIG. 18 in order to avoid obscuring other aspects of FIG. 18.

FIG. 18 illustrates that the processors 1770, 1780 may include integrated memory and I/O control logic (“CL”) 1772 and 1782, respectively. Thus, the CL 1772, 1782 include integrated memory controller units and include I/O control logic. FIG. 18 illustrates that not only are the memories 1732, 1734 coupled to the CL 1772, 1782, but also that I/O devices 1814 are also coupled to the control logic 1772, 1782. Legacy I/O devices 1815 are coupled to the chipset 1790.

Referring now to FIG. 19, shown is a block diagram of a SoC 1900 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Similar elements in FIG. 15 bear like reference numerals. Also, dashed lined boxes are optional features on more advanced SoCs. In FIG. 19, an interconnect unit(s) 1902 is coupled to: an application processor 1910 which includes a set of one or more cores 202A-N and shared cache unit(s) 1506; a system agent unit 1510; a bus controller unit(s) 1516; an integrated memory controller unit(s) 1514; a set or one or more coprocessors 1920 which may include integrated graphics logic, an image processor, an audio processor, and a video processor; an static random access memory (SRAM) unit 1930; a direct memory access (DMA) unit 1932; and a display unit 1940 for coupling to one or more external displays. In one embodiment, the coprocessor(s) 1920 include a special-purpose processor, such as, for example, a network or communication processor, compression engine, GPGPU, a high-throughput MIC processor, embedded processor, or the like.

Embodiments of the mechanisms disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of such implementation approaches. Embodiments of the invention may be implemented as computer programs or program code executing on programmable systems comprising at least one processor, a storage system (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device.

Program code, such as code 1730 illustrated in FIG. 17, may be applied to input instructions to perform the functions described herein and generate output information. The output information may be applied to one or more output devices, in known fashion. For purposes of this application, a processing system includes any system that has a processor, such as, for example; a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a microprocessor.

The program code may be implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a processing system. The program code may also be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In fact, the mechanisms described herein are not limited in scope to any particular programming language. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language.

One or more aspects of at least one embodiment may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a machine-readable medium which represents various logic within the processor, which when read by a machine causes the machine to fabricate logic to perform the techniques described herein. Such representations, known as “IP cores” may be stored on a tangible, machine readable medium and supplied to various customers or manufacturing facilities to load into the fabrication machines that actually make the logic or processor.

Such machine-readable storage media may include, without limitation, non-transitory, tangible arrangements of articles manufactured or formed by a machine or device, including storage media such as hard disks, any other type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), compact disk rewritable's (CD-RWs), and magneto-optical disks, semiconductor devices such as read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs) such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), flash memories, electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), phase change memory (PCM), magnetic or optical cards, or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Accordingly, embodiments of the invention also include non-transitory, tangible machine-readable media containing instructions or containing design data, such as Hardware Description Language (HDL), which defines structures, circuits, apparatuses, processors and/or system features described herein. Such embodiments may also be referred to as program products.

Emulation (Including Binary Translation, Code Morphing, Etc.)

In some cases, an instruction converter may be used to convert an instruction from a source instruction set to a target instruction set. For example, the instruction converter may translate (e.g., using static binary translation, dynamic binary translation including dynamic compilation), morph, emulate, or otherwise convert an instruction to one or more other instructions to be processed by the core. The instruction converter may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. The instruction converter may be on processor, off processor, or part on and part off processor.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram contrasting the use of a software instruction converter to convert binary instructions in a source instruction set to binary instructions in a target instruction set according to embodiments of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the instruction converter is a software instruction converter, although alternatively the instruction converter may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or various combinations thereof. FIG. 20 shows a program in a high level language 2002 may be compiled using an x86 compiler 2004 to generate x86 binary code 2006 that may be natively executed by a processor with at least one x86 instruction set core 2016. The processor with at least one x86 instruction set core 2016 represents any processor that can perform substantially the same functions as an Intel processor with at least one x86 instruction set core by compatibly executing or otherwise processing (1) a substantial portion of the instruction set of the Intel x86 instruction set core or (2) object code versions of applications or other software targeted to run on an Intel processor with at least one x86 instruction set core, in order to achieve substantially the same result as an Intel processor with at least one x86 instruction set core. The x86 compiler 2004 represents a compiler that is operable to generate x86 binary code 2006 (e.g., object code) that can, with or without additional linkage processing, be executed on the processor with at least one x86 instruction set core 2016. Similarly, FIG. 20 shows the program in the high level language 2002 may be compiled using an alternative instruction set compiler 2008 to generate alternative instruction set binary code 2010 that may be natively executed by a processor without at least one x86 instruction set core 2014 (e.g., a processor with cores that execute the MIPS instruction set of MIPS Technologies of Sunnyvale, Calif. and/or that execute the ARM instruction set of ARM Holdings of Sunnyvale, Calif.). The instruction converter 2012 is used to convert the x86 binary code 2006 into code that may be natively executed by the processor without an x86 instruction set core 2014. This converted code is not likely to be the same as the alternative instruction set binary code 2010 because an instruction converter capable of this is difficult to make; however, the converted code will accomplish the general operation and be made up of instructions from the alternative instruction set. Thus, the instruction converter 2012 represents software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof that, through emulation, simulation or any other process, allows a processor or other electronic device that does not have an x86 instruction set processor or core to execute the x86 binary code 2006.

Components, features, and details described for any of FIGS. 3-9 may also optionally be used in any of FIGS. 1-2. Moreover, components, features, and details described herein for any of the apparatus described herein may also optionally be used in and/or apply to any of the methods described herein, which in embodiments may be performed by and/or with such apparatus. Any of the processors described herein may be included in any of the computer systems or other systems disclosed herein. The instruction may have any of the various instruction formats disclosed herein.

In the description and claims, the terms “coupled” and/or “connected,” along with their derivatives, may have be used. These terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical and/or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical and/or electrical contact with each other. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other. For example, an execution unit may be coupled with a register and/or a decode unit through one or more intervening components. In the figures, arrows are used to show connections and couplings.

The term “and/or” may have been used. As used herein, the term “and/or” means one or the other or both (e.g., A and/or B means A or B or both A and B).

In the description above, specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. The scope of the invention is not to be determined by the specific examples provided above, but only by the claims below. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, devices, and operations have been shown in block diagram form and/or without detail in order to avoid obscuring the understanding of the description. Where considered appropriate, reference numerals, or terminal portions of reference numerals, have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar or the same characteristics, unless specified or clearly apparent otherwise.

Certain operations may be performed by hardware components, or may be embodied in machine-executable or circuit-executable instructions, that may be used to cause and/or result in a machine, circuit, or hardware component (e.g., a processor, portion of a processor, circuit, etc.) programmed with the instructions performing the operations. The operations may also optionally be performed by a combination of hardware and software. A processor, machine, circuit, or hardware may include specific or particular circuitry or other logic (e.g., hardware potentially combined with firmware and/or software) is operable to execute and/or process the instruction and store a result in response to the instruction.

Some embodiments include an article of manufacture (e.g., a computer program product) that includes a machine-readable medium. The medium may include a mechanism that provides, for example stores, information in a form that is readable by the machine. The machine-readable medium may provide, or have stored thereon, an instruction or sequence of instructions, that if and/or when executed by a machine are operable to cause the machine to perform and/or result in the machine performing one or operations, methods, or techniques disclosed herein. The machine-readable medium may store or otherwise provide one or more of the embodiments of the instructions disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, the machine-readable medium may include a tangible and/or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. For example, the tangible and/or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium may include a floppy diskette, an optical storage medium, an optical disk, an optical data storage device, a CD-ROM, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a read only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable-and-programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically-erasable-and-programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), a static-RAM (SRAM), a dynamic-RAM (DRAM), a Flash memory, a phase-change memory, a phase-change data storage material, a non-volatile memory, a non-volatile data storage device, a non-transitory memory, a non-transitory data storage device, or the like. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium does not consist of a transitory propagated signal.

Examples of suitable machines include, but are not limited to, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, an instruction processing apparatus, a digital logic circuit, an integrated circuit, or the like. Still other examples of suitable machines include a computing device or other electronic device that includes a processor, instruction processing apparatus, digital logic circuit, or integrated circuit. Examples of such computing devices and electronic devices include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, netbooks, smartphones, cellular phones, servers, network devices (e.g., routers and switches.), Mobile Internet devices (MIDs), media players, smart televisions, nettops, set-top boxes, and video game controllers.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one or more embodiments,” “some embodiments,” for example, indicates that a particular feature may be included in the practice of the invention but is not necessarily required to be. Similarly, in the description various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, Figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the invention.

Example Embodiments

The following examples pertain to further embodiments. Specifics in the examples may be used anywhere in one or more embodiments.

Example 1 is a processor including a decode unit to decode an instruction. The instruction to indicate a first source packed data operand that is to include a first plurality of data elements, to indicate a source mask that is to include a plurality of mask elements, and to indicate a destination storage location. An execution unit is coupled with the decode unit. The execution unit, in response to the instruction, is to store a result packed data operand in the destination storage location. The result packed data operand is to have at least two unmasked result data elements that are to correspond to unmasked mask elements of the source mask. Each of the unmasked result data elements is to have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position. All masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, are to have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand. The masked result data elements to correspond to masked mask elements of the source mask.

Example 2 includes the processor of Example 1, in which execution unit is to store the result packed data operand that is to include a first set of at least one masked result data element between the first end and a first unmasked result data element closest to the first end.

Example 3 includes the processor of Example 2, in which the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to indicate a second source packed data operand that is to include a highest order data element. Also optionally in which the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a same value as the highest order data element of the second source packed data operand.

Example 4 includes the processor of Example 3, in which the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to implicitly indicate, but not explicitly specify, that a register to be used for the second source packed data operand is also to be used as the destination storage location.

Example 5 includes the processor of Example 3, in which the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which the first end is to comprise a lowest order end.

Example 6 includes the processor of Example 2, in which the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to indicate a second source packed data operand that is to include a lowest order data element. Also optionally in which the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a same value as the lowest order data element of the second source packed data operand.

Example 7 includes the processor of Example 5, in which the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which the first end is to comprise a highest order end.

Example 8 includes the processor of Example 2, in which the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position.

Example 9 includes the processor of any one of Examples 1 to 8, in which execution unit is to store the result packed data operand that is to include a second set of at least one masked result data element between a second end of the result packed data operand and a second unmasked result data element which is closest to the second end. Each masked result data element of the second set is to have a same value as the second unmasked result data element.

Example 10 includes the processor of any one of Examples 1 to 8, in which each mask element of the source mask is to consist of a single bit.

Example 11 includes the processor of any one of Examples 1 to 8, in which the source mask is to be stored in a mask register, and in which the instruction is included in an instruction set with a plurality of other instructions that are to indicate the mask register as a predicate operand to predicate packed data operations.

Example 12 includes the processor of any one of Examples 1 to 8, in which the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to indicate the first source packed data operand in a location in a memory.

Example 13 includes the processor of any one of Examples 1 to 8, in which the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each unmasked result data element having the value of the corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand is to be fixed for an opcode of the instruction.

Example 14 is a method in a processor including receiving an instruction. The instruction indicating a first source packed data operand including a first plurality of data elements, indicating a source mask including a plurality of mask elements, and indicating a destination storage location. Storing a result packed data in the destination storage location in response to the instruction. The result packed data including at least two unmasked result data elements corresponding to unmasked mask elements of the source mask, each of the unmasked result data elements having a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position. All masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, having a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand. The masked result data elements corresponding to masked mask elements of the source mask.

Example 15 includes the method of Example 14, in which storing includes storing the result packed data operand including a first set of at least one masked result data element between the first end and a first unmasked result data element which is closest to the first end.

Example 16 includes the method of Example 15, in which receiving includes receiving the instruction indicating a second source packed data operand including a highest order data element. Also optionally in which storing includes storing the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set has a same value as the highest order data element of the second source operand.

Example 17 includes the method of Example 15, in which receiving includes receiving the instruction indicating a second source packed data operand including a lowest order data element. Also optionally in which storing includes storing the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set has a same value as the lowest order data element of the second source operand.

Example 18 includes the method of Example 15, in which storing includes storing the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set has a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position.

Example 19 includes the method of Example 14, in which storing includes storing the result packed data operand including a second set of at least one masked result data element between a second end and a second unmasked result data element which is closest to the second end. Each masked result data element of the second set has a same value as the second unmasked result data element.

Example 20 includes the method of Example 14, in which receiving includes receiving the instruction indicating the source mask in which each mask element consists of a single bit.

Example 21 is a system to process instructions including an interconnect, and a processor coupled with the interconnect. The processor operable, in response to an instruction that is to indicate a first source packed data operand that is to include a first plurality of data elements, to indicate a source mask that is to include a plurality of mask elements, and to indicate a destination storage location, to store a result packed data operand in the destination storage location. The result packed data operand to include at least two unmasked result data elements that are to correspond to unmasked mask elements of the source mask, each of the unmasked result data elements to have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position. All masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, to have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand. The masked result data elements to correspond to masked mask elements of the source mask. The system also includes a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) coupled with the interconnect. The DRAM storing a set of instructions to vectorize a loop that performs computations on a scalar value that is modified based on a plurality of conditions. The set of instructions, when executed by the processor, operable to cause the processor to perform operations including evaluating the plurality of conditions, making mask elements of the plurality unmasked for conditions evaluated to be true, making mask elements of the plurality masked for conditions evaluated to be false, and performing the computations on the result packed data operand in parallel.

Example 22 includes the system of Example 21, in which the processor is to store the result packed data operand that is to include a first set of at least one masked result data element between the first end and a first unmasked result data element closest to the first end. Also optionally in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a same value as a highest order data element of a second source packed data operand indicated by the instruction.

Example 23 includes an article of manufacture including a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing an instruction. The instruction indicating a first source packed data operand including a first plurality of data elements, indicating a source mask including a plurality of mask elements, and indicating a destination storage location. The instruction if executed by a machine operable to cause the machine to perform operations including storing a result packed data operand in the destination storage location in response to the instruction. The result packed data operand including at least two unmasked result data elements corresponding to unmasked mask elements of the source mask. Each of the unmasked result data elements having a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position. All masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, having a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand. The masked result data elements corresponding to masked mask elements of the source mask.

Example 24 includes the article of manufacture of example 23, in which each mask element is to consist of a single bit, in which the instruction is to indicate a second source packed data operand to have a single value to be stored to a set of one or more lowest order masked result data elements.

Example 25 includes a processor or other apparatus that is operable to perform the method of any of Examples 14-20.

Example 26 includes a processor or other apparatus that includes means for performing the method of any of Examples 14-20.

Example 27 includes a processor that includes modules, units, logic, circuitry, means, or any combination thereof, to perform the method of any of Examples 14-20.

Example 28 includes a computer system or other electronic device including an interconnect, a processor coupled with the interconnect, and at least one component coupled with the interconnect that is selected from a DRAM, a graphics chip, a wireless communications chip, a phase change memory, and a video camera, the computer system or other electronic device to perform the method of any of Examples 14-20.

Example 29 includes an optionally non-transitory machine-readable medium that optionally stores or otherwise provides an instruction that if and/or when executed by a processor, computer system, or other machine is operable to cause the machine to perform the method of any of Examples 14-20.

Example 30 includes a processor or other apparatus that is operable to perform one or more operations or any method substantially as described herein.

Example 31 includes a processor or other apparatus including means for performing one or more operations or any method substantially as described herein.

Example 32 includes a processor or other apparatus that is operable to perform any of the instructions substantially as described herein.

Example 33 includes a processor or other apparatus including means for performing any of the instructions substantially as described herein.

Example 34 includes a processor or other apparatus including a decode unit that is operable to decode instructions of a first instruction set. The decode unit is to receive one or more instructions that emulate a first instruction, which may be any of the instructions substantially as disclosed herein, and which is to be of a second instruction set. The processor or other apparatus also includes one or more execution units coupled with the decode unit to execute the one or more instructions of the first instruction set. The one or more execution units in response to the one or more instructions of the first instruction set are operable to store a result in a destination. The result may include any of the results substantially as disclosed herein for the first instruction.

Example 35 includes a computer system or other electronic device that includes a processor having a decode unit that is operable to decode instructions of a first instruction set, and having one or more execution units. The computer system also includes a storage device coupled to the processor. The storage device is to store a first instruction, which may be any of the instructions substantially as disclosed herein, and which is to be of a second instruction set. The storage device is also to store instructions to convert the first instruction into one or more instructions of the first instruction set. The one or more instructions of the first instruction set, when executed by the processor, are operable to cause the processor to store a result in a destination. The result may include any of the results substantially as disclosed herein for the first instruction.

Example 36 includes the processor of Example 8, in which the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to implicitly indicate, but not explicitly specify, that a register to be used for the first source packed data operand is also to be used as the destination storage location. 

1-25. (canceled)
 26. A processor comprising: a decode unit to decode an instruction, the instruction to indicate a first source packed data operand that is to include a first plurality of data elements, to indicate a source mask that is to include a plurality of mask elements, and to indicate a destination storage location; an execution unit coupled with the decode unit, the execution unit, in response to the instruction, to store a result packed data operand in the destination storage location, the result packed data operand to have: at least two unmasked result data elements that are to correspond to unmasked mask elements of the source mask, each of the unmasked result data elements to have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position; and all masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, to have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand, the masked result data elements to correspond to masked mask elements of the source mask.
 27. The processor of claim 26, wherein execution unit is to store the result packed data operand that is to include a first set of at least one masked result data element between the first end and a first unmasked result data element closest to the first end.
 28. The processor of claim 27, wherein the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to indicate a second source packed data operand that is to include a highest order data element, and wherein the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a same value as the highest order data element of the second source packed data operand.
 29. The processor of claim 28, wherein the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to implicitly indicate, but not explicitly specify, that a register to be used for the second source packed data operand is also to be used as the destination storage location.
 30. The processor of claim 28, wherein the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which the first end is to comprise a lowest order end.
 31. The processor of claim 27, wherein the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to indicate a second source packed data operand that is to include a lowest order data element, and wherein the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a same value as the lowest order data element of the second source packed data operand.
 32. The processor of claim 30, wherein the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which the first end is to comprise a highest order end.
 33. The processor of claim 27, wherein the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set is to have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position.
 34. The processor of claim 26, wherein execution unit is to store the result packed data operand that is to include a second set of at least one masked result data element between a second end of the result packed data operand and a second unmasked result data element which is closest to the second end, and each masked result data element of the second set is to have a same value as the second unmasked result data element.
 35. The processor of claim 26, wherein each mask element of the source mask is to consist of a single bit.
 36. The processor of claim 26, wherein the source mask is to be stored in a mask register, and wherein the instruction is included in an instruction set with a plurality of other instructions that are to indicate the mask register as a predicate operand to predicate packed data operations.
 37. The processor of claim 26, wherein the decode unit is to decode the instruction that is to indicate the first source packed data operand in a location in a memory.
 38. The processor of claim 26, wherein the execution unit is to store the result packed data operand in which each unmasked result data element having the value of the corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand is to be fixed for an opcode of the instruction.
 39. A method in a processor comprising: receiving an instruction, the instruction indicating a first source packed data operand including a first plurality of data elements, indicating a source mask including a plurality of mask elements, and indicating a destination storage location; and storing a result packed data in the destination storage location in response to the instruction, the result packed data including: at least two unmasked result data elements corresponding to unmasked mask elements of the source mask, each of the unmasked result data elements having a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position; and all masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, having a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand, the masked result data elements corresponding to masked mask elements of the source mask.
 40. The method of claim 39, wherein storing comprises storing the result packed data operand including a first set of at least one masked result data element between the first end and a first unmasked result data element which is closest to the first end.
 41. The method of claim 40, wherein receiving comprises receiving the instruction indicating a second source packed data operand including a highest order data element, and wherein storing comprises storing the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set has a same value as the highest order data element of the second source operand.
 42. The method of claim 40, wherein receiving comprises receiving the instruction indicating a second source packed data operand including a lowest order data element, and wherein storing comprises storing the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set has a same value as the lowest order data element of the second source operand.
 43. The method of claim 40, wherein storing comprises storing the result packed data operand in which each masked result data element of the first set has a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position.
 44. The method of claim 39, wherein storing comprises storing the result packed data operand including a second set of at least one masked result data element between a second end and a second unmasked result data element which is closest to the second end, and wherein each masked result data element of the second set has a same value as the second unmasked result data element.
 45. The method of claim 39, wherein receiving comprises receiving the instruction indicating the source mask in which each mask element consists of a single bit.
 46. A system to process instructions comprising: an interconnect; a processor coupled with the interconnect, the processor operable, in response to an instruction that is to indicate a first source packed data operand that is to include a first plurality of data elements, to indicate a source mask that is to include a plurality of mask elements, and to indicate a destination storage location, to store a result packed data operand in the destination storage location, the result packed data operand to include: at least two unmasked result data elements that are to correspond to unmasked mask elements of the source mask, each of the unmasked result data elements to have a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position; and all masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, to have a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand, the masked result data elements to correspond to masked mask elements of the source mask; and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) coupled with the interconnect, the DRAM storing a set of instructions to vectorize a loop that performs computations on a scalar value that is modified based on a plurality of conditions, the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, operable to cause the processor to perform operations comprising: evaluating the plurality of conditions; making mask elements of the plurality unmasked for conditions evaluated to be true; making mask elements of the plurality masked for conditions evaluated to be false; and performing the computations on the result packed data operand in parallel.
 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the processor is to store the result packed data operand that is to include a first set of at least one masked result data element between the first end and a first unmasked result data element closest to the first end, and wherein each masked result data element of the first set is to have a same value as a highest order data element of a second source packed data operand indicated by the instruction.
 48. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing an instruction, the instruction indicating a first source packed data operand including a first plurality of data elements, indicating a source mask including a plurality of mask elements, and indicating a destination storage location, and the instruction if executed by a machine operable to cause the machine to perform operations comprising: storing a result packed data operand in the destination storage location in response to the instruction, the result packed data operand including: at least two unmasked result data elements corresponding to unmasked mask elements of the source mask, each of the unmasked result data elements having a value of a corresponding data element of the first source packed data operand in a same relative bit position; and all masked result data elements, between each nearest pair of unmasked result data elements, having a same value as an unmasked result data element of the pair that is closest to a first end of the result packed data operand, the masked result data elements corresponding to masked mask elements of the source mask.
 49. The article of manufacture of claim 48, wherein each mask element is to consist of a single bit, wherein the instruction is to indicate a second source packed data operand to have a single value to be stored to a set of one or more lowest order masked result data elements. 